Facebook’s U.S. Fine May Be Great Investment, EU Economist Warns

  • EU economist says a fine could be dwarfed by potential returns
  • Responds to reports on possible U.S. penalty in privacy case
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Facebook Inc.’s potential fine of $3 billion to $5 billion from a U.S. privacy probe would be a "a great investment" if it allowed the company to corner a market and reap $50 billion in revenue a year, says the European Union’s chief antitrust economist Tommaso Valletti in a Twitter post.

Valletti was commenting on a New York Times article on Facebook’s regulatory problems. The company took a $3 billion charge this week concerning a Federal Trade Commission investigation over whether the company violated a 2011 privacy settlement with the agency.