Facebook faces 20-year oversight by US government

UPDATE: Facebook comms chief rebuts co-founder's call for social media giant to be broken up

Some say Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's CEO, should be liable for privacy breaches. Bloomberg

Amid allegations of privacy lapses, Facebook is headed towards an agreement with the US government that would put it under 20 years of oversight, according to Reuters, citing an unnamed source.

The news comes as Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes, in a New York Times op-ed published last week, called for the break-up of the company, saying Mr Zuckerberg's "focus on growth led him to sacrifice security and civility for clicks".

Following that, Facebook communications and global affairs chief Nick Clegg, in an interview with CNN, rebutted Mr Hughes' recommendation for the social media giant to be dismantled for the platform to be broken up.

The Federal Trade Commission has been investigating allegations that Facebook inappropriately shared personal data of 87 million users with the now-defunct British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. A settlement would resolve the inquiry into whether Facebook violated a similar 20-year pact signed with the FTC in 2011.

It was expected that Facebook would pay a $3 billion (Dh11bn) to $5bn penalty and that a settlement was imminent, but sources told Reuters on Monday that no deal was expected this week and that it could be a month away.

Facebook has battled allegations of abuse of users' data and failure to control hate speech over the past three years and has come under increased scrutiny in recent weeks. In a letter to the FTC, US policymakers said even a $5bn civil penalty would not be enough and called for holding founder Mark Zuckerberg personally liable.

In a New York Times op-ed published last week, Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes called for the break-up of the company, saying Mr Zuckerberg's "focus on growth led him to sacrifice security and civility for clicks".

Following that, Facebook communications and global affairs chief Nick Clegg in an interview with CNN rebutted Mr Hughes recommendation for the social media giant to be dismantled for the platform to be broken up.