Facebook is fined $ 5 billion

The US authorities imposed a $ 5 billion fine on Facebook following an investigation into the failure of the social networking giant to protect users' privacy, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

Commissioners at the Federal Trade Commission voted 3 to 2 in favor of a compromise deal last week, the newspaper quoted people familiar with the matter as saying. It was not clear how long it would take to complete the deal, it said.

The investigation began last year after it became clear that London-based Cambridge Analysta, which was working with President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign, had seen data of 87 million users.

The Commission and Facebook declined to confirm the report, but the social networking giant said it expected a loss of up to $ 5 billion as a result of the scandal in its first-quarter profit report published in April.

The Justice Department is expected to review the agreement, but it usually does not change the decisions taken by the Federal Trade Commission.