Facebook’s Data-Selling Arrangements Now Under Criminal Investigation

on April 10, 2018 in Washington, DC.
Facebook co-founder, Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a combined Senate Judiciary and Commerce committee on April 10, 2018. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Facebook is under criminal investigation for its deals selling user data to other companies, The New York Times reported. 

A grand jury in New York recently subpoenaed two companies that make smartphones and other gadgets, people familiar with the requests told the Times. Both of the companies were given access to the personal data of hundreds of millions of Facebook users.

“We are cooperating with investigators and take those probes seriously,” a Facebook spokesman told the Times in a statement. “We’ve provided public testimony, answered questions and pledged that we will continue to do so.”

The two companies that were subpoenaed are among more than 150 other tech giants — like Apple, Amazon and Microsoft — that went into business with Facebook to gain access to it’s user base’s friends, contact data and other information without the user’s knowledge.

Latest News
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: