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A Severe Penalty Awaits Facebook, but How Severe
Facebook面臨嚴厲懲罰，問題是究竟有多嚴厲？
By Cecilia Kang
文/塞西莉亞·康
Facebook’s announcement in late April
Facebook曾在4月底宣布，
that it had set aside $3 billion to $5 billion to settle claims that it mishandled users’ personal data
該公司已撥出30億~50億美元，處理那些宣稱該公司對用戶個人數據使用不當的指控。
suggested a strong consensus by federal regulators that the social media giant needed to be held accountable.
Facebook的這一舉動表明，聯邦監管機構一致認為，他們應該追究這家社交媒體巨頭的責任。
But the reality behind the scenes at the Federal Trade Commission is far more complicated,
但聯邦貿易委員會（FTC)背后的現實要復雜得多，
reflecting the politics and give-and-take of the negotiations.
而這些現實也反映了談判中的勾心斗角和彼此妥協。
The F.T.C.’s five commissioners agreed months ago that they wanted to pursue a historic penalty that would show the agency’s teeth.
幾個月前，FTC的的五名委員一致同意，要對該企業進行歷史性的嚴懲以示威嚴。
But now, the members are split on the size and scope of the tech company’s punishment,
但據三位不愿公開身份的知情人士透露，針對懲罰這家科技公司的哪些方面，
according to three people with knowledge of the talks who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
委員們內部現在出現了分歧。
The division is complicating the final days of the talks.
因為這些分歧，已經接近尾聲的談判重新變得復雜起來。
Along with disagreement about the appropriate financial penalty,
除了委員們在多重的經濟處罰才合適這一問題上意見不一外，
one of the most contentious undercurrents throughout the negotiations has been the degree
據其中兩人透露，整個談判過程中最具爭議的暗涌之一就是
to which Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s chief executive, should be held personally liable for any violation of a 2011 agreement, according to two of the people.
Facebook的首席執行官馬克·扎克伯格個人對違反2011年的一項協議之事到底負有多大責任。
Facebook has put up a fierce fight,
該企業對此發起了激烈的反抗，
saying Mr. Zuckerberg should not be held legally responsible for the actions of all 35,000 of his employees.
聲稱扎克伯格不該為他手下3.5萬名員工的行為承擔法律責任。
The talks could fall apart,
和談可能會破裂，
but negotiations are moving forward and are expected to conclude within days, with an announcement made soon after.
但談判在推進，預計將在幾天內結束，結果也會在不久后宣布。
This account of the F.T.C.’s investigation of Facebook is based on interviews with a half dozen people.
本次對聯邦貿易委員會針對該公司的調查的報道來自對六位人士的采訪。
Joseph J. Simons, the commission’s Republican chairman,
委員會的共和黨主席約瑟夫·J·西蒙斯
appeared to have the votes of the other two Republican commissioners,
似乎得到了其他兩名共和黨委員的支持，
giving him the three needed to approve a deal.
故他滿足了需要三張選票才能通過協議這一條件。
But a 3-to-2 decision along party lines, which Mr. Simons has said he wants to avoid, could lead to strong rebukes on Capitol Hill.
但黨派之間3:2這種選票結果可能會招致對美國國會的強烈譴責，西蒙斯也曾表示希望避免這種情況的發生。
The stakes are enormous for the agency and Mr. Simons.
無論是對該機構還是對西蒙斯來說，這次要冒的風險都無比的大。
The case is being closely watched globally as a litmus test on how the United States government will police the country’s tech giants.
此案正受到全球的密切關注，還被視為了美國政府將如何監管該國的科技巨頭的一塊試金石。
The commission has a reputation of pulling some punches,
聯邦貿易委員是出了名地擅長出爾反爾，
particularly in contrast with regulators in Europe, who have pursued forceful action on both privacy and antitrust issues.
和其他國家的貿易委員會，尤其是在隱私和反壟斷問題上均采取了強勁措施的歐洲監管機構形成了鮮明的對比。
The largest F.T.C. fine against a tech company was $22.5 million against Google in 2012,
該委員會對科技公司開出的最高罰單是2012年對谷歌開出的，金額2250萬美元的罰單，
for misleading users about how some of its tools were tracking them.
罰款理由是谷歌在用戶了解它的工具是如何跟蹤他們的行為一事上誤導用戶。
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