• The Register (UK), Monday, May 10, 2010 3:04 PM

Facing investigation by the FTC on privacy grounds, Facebook has hired what The Register is calling "a big legal gun" to fight back against regulators' increasing interest in its business. Who is Facebook's ace in the hole?

None other than Tim Muris, the ex-boss of the Federal Trade Commission. Just last week, Muris was awarded a lifetime achievement award by the FTC. Now, The Register is presuming he will "help see off complaints" from the likes of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. According to The Register, "antitrust and privacy investigations [are] already underway" against Facebook. Canadian regulators are also reportedly investigating the social networking powerhouse. Facebook has also hired ex-American Council of Civil Liberties lawyer Tim Sparapani. Tim Muris was chair of the Federal Trade Commission under George W Bush between 2001 and 2004.

Read the whole story at The Register (UK) »