$5bn fine for privacy breaches

In 2019 Facebook agreed to pay a record-breaking $5 billion fine to settle a U.S. Federal Trade Commission probe into its privacy practices. The deal has been widely criticised as not going far enough. $5 billion is about one months revenue for Facebook.

Source: news article (2019)

Involvement with Burma

This company appears on Burma Campaign UK's 'Dirty List' of companies assisting the Burmese military to continue to commit human rights violations and environmental destruction. Facebook has consistently allowed its platform to be used to incite hatred and violence of minorities in Burma, in particular the Rohingya Muslim minority and Muslims in general. Numerous complaints were ignored by the company. Facebook have been severely criticised by civil society in Burma, and by the United Nations, for their lack of action in addressing hate speech.

Source: Burma Campaign UK (2022)

Forced labour in China

The Chinese government has facilitated the mass transfer of Uyghur and other ethnic minority citizens from the far west region of Xinjiang to factories across the country. Under conditions that strongly suggest forced labour, Uyghurs are working in factories that are in the supply chains of at least 83 well-known global brands in the technology, clothing and automotive sectors, including brands owned by this company. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute's 2020 report estimates (somewhat conservatively) that more than 80,000 Uyghurs were transferred out of Xinjiang to work in factories across China between 2017 and 2019, and some of them were sent directly from detention camps.

Source: ASPI (2020)

Role in Rohingya genocide

Beginning in August 2017, the Myanmar security forces undertook a brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing against Rohingya Muslims. Amnesty International's 2022 report is based on an in-depth investigation into Meta's role in the serious human rights violations perpetrated against the Rohingya. Meta's algorithms proactively amplified and promoted content which incited violence, hatred, and discrimination against the Rohingya - pouring fuel on the fire of long-standing discrimination and substantially increasing the risk of an outbreak of mass violence. The report concludes that Meta substantially contributed to adverse human rights impacts suffered by the Rohingya and has a responsibility to provide survivors with an effective remedy.

Source: Amnesty (2022)

The Facebook Files

Facebook knows, in acute detail, that its platforms are riddled with flaws that cause harm, often in ways only the company fully understands. That is the central finding of a Wall Street Journal series, based on a review of internal Facebook documents, including research reports, online employee discussions and drafts of presentations to senior management. Findings include: Facebook shields millions of VIPs from the company's normal enforcement using "XCheck"; Instagram is toxic for many teen girls; algorithms that encourage incendiary content; weak response to human right abuses; and efforts to attract even younger users.

Source: Wall Street Journal (2021)

Fined for privacy breaches in Europe

In November 2022 Ireland's data privacy regulator (DPC) imposed a 265 million euro fine on social media giant Facebook, bringing the total it has fined parent group Meta to almost 1 billion euros. In September 2022 Instagram was fined 405 million euros. 13 more inquiries into Meta by the DPC are outstanding.

Source: Reuters (2022)

$1.4bn biometric privacy settlement

In 2024, in the largest settlement ever obtained from an action brought by a single US state, Meta agreed to pay US$1.4 billion to settle a lawsuit alleging that Meta collected, used and sold Texans' biometric data for a decade without their consent, thus violating state privacy laws.

Source: Top Class Actions (2024)

Addictive app design

Many apps are designed to be deliberately addictive, using psychological tricks that continuously grab your attention. The Center for Humane Technology partnered with Moment, an app that helps people track their screen time, to ask how much screen time in apps left people feeling happy, and how much time left them in regret. Apps were ranked with data collected from a pool of 200,000 iPhone users. This company's Facebook app ranked third in the Most Unhappy list, with 64% of users reporting they are "unhappy" with the app and how much time they spend on it, with daily usage averaging 59 minutes. Their Instagram app ranked twelfth in the Most Unhappy list, with 51% of users reporting they are "unhappy" with the app and how much time they spend on it, with daily usage averaging 54 minutes.

Source: Center for Humane Tech (2021)

Top spender on lobbying in USA

This company is on OpenSecrets.org's list of "Top Spenders on Lobbying", a list of the 20 organizations that have spent the most trying to influence US government policy. This company was in the top 20 list every year between 2020 and 2024, having spent $91,760,000 on lobbying in those 5 years.

Source: Open Secrets (2024)

$725m data harvesting settlement

In March 2023, Meta Platforms agreed to pay a record $725 million to resolve claims related to its alleged involvement in the Cambridge Analytica data harvesting scandal. The settlement ends claims revolving around Facebook's alleged failure to prevent Cambridge Analytica and other third parties from accessing Facebook users' private data without their consent.

Source: Top Class Actions (2023)

798m euro antitrust fine in Europe

In 2024 the European Commission fined Meta 797.72 million euros for breaching EU antitrust rules by tying its online classified ads service Facebook Marketplace to its personal social network Facebook and imposing unfair trading conditions on other online classified ads service providers.

Source: European Commission (2024)

13.9% for supply chain practices in China

The Green Supply Chain Corporate Information Transparency Index (CITI) evaluates consumer-facing companies that have a sizeable supply chain in China. The evaluation uses government supervision data and public information to assess the environmental management of their supply chains in China. This company received a score of 13.9/100 (retrieved 24 Nov 2023).

Source: IPE (2023)

6/18 in Net Zero scorecard

As You Sow's 2022 report, 'Road to Zero Emissions', assessed the progress of 55 of the largest U.S. corporations in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in line with the Paris Agreement's objective of limiting global average temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, which requires achieving "net zero" emissions by 2050. Companies are graded on: climate related disclosures; GHG reduction targets, and GHG reductions. This company received an Overall Net Zero grade of D.

Source: As You Sow (2022)

$14m anti-discrimination lawsuit settlement

In Oct 2021, this company agreed to pay $14 million to the US Departments of Justice and Labor to end an anti-discrimination lawsuit alleging the company reserved jobs for temporary visa holders rather than hiring US workers. The $14.25 million payout includes a $4.75 million fine and a fund of up to $9.5 million for individuals impacted by Facebook's alleged bias.

Source: Top Class Actions (2021)

$37.5m location data privacy settlement

In May 2023, this company agreed to pay US$37.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit that alleged Meta improperly inferred the location of Facebook users in the United States through their IP addresses even if a Facebook user had turned off location services on their iOS or Android device for the Facebook application.

Source: Top Class Actions (2023)

46% in Big Tech Scorecard

Ranking Digital Rights (RDR) evaluates and ranks 14 of the world's most powerful digital platforms on their policies and practices affecting people's rights to freedom of expression and privacy. In RDR's 2022 Big Tech Scorecard, none of the digital platforms earned a passing grade. This company ranked #5/14, with a total score of 46/100.

Source: Ranking Digital Rights (2022)

Fined for breaching an order

In 2021 Facebook was fined 50.5 million GBP for breaching an order imposed by the UK competition regulator during its investigation into the purchase of the gif creation website Giphy. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the social networking company "deliberately" refused to supply information proving that it was complying with an initial enforcement order (IEO). The CMA said it was the first time a company had "consciously refused" to supply information under an IEO.

Source: The Guardian (2021)

25/100 S&P Global ESG Score

This company received an S&P Global ESG Score of 25/100 in the Interactive Media Services & Home Entertainment category of the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment, an annual evaluation of companies' sustainability practices (last updated 18 Nov 2022). The rankings are based on an analysis of corporate economic, environmental and social performance, assessing issues such as corporate governance, risk management, environmental reporting, climate strategy, human rights and labour practices.

Source: S&P Global (2022)

JUST Capital ranking

JUST Capital polls Americans every year to identify the issues that matter most in defining just business behaviour. For their 2024 rankings the public identified 20 issues, which are organised under the headings Workers, Communities, Customers, Shareholders and Environment. JUST Capital then define metrics that map to those issues and track and analyse the largest, publicly traded U.S. companies. This analysis powers their rankings, in which this company ranked 697th of 937 companies, and 6th of 9 Internet companies.

Source: JUST Capital (2024)

Retirement plan investments

The Invest Your Values Corporate Retirement Plan Sustainability Scorecard by As You Sow rates retirement plans on seven environmental and social sustainability issues. This company's default corporate retirement plan offered to employees is the Vanguard Target Retirement Fund which is rated Fair for gender equality and civilian firearms, and Poor for fossil fuels, deforestation, prison industrial complex, military weapons and tobacco. This retirement plan has millions of dollars invested in fossil fuels, deforestation-risk agribusiness, and arms manufacturers.

Source: As You Sow (2022)