The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) in the UK is investigating whether Facebook broke data protection laws when it allowed researchers to conduct a psychological experiment on users of the social network, according to a Financial Times report. Facebook is facing outcry over its experiment on nearly 700,000 users in 2012. Facebook said it was tring to find if it could alter the emotional state of its users and prompt them to post either more positive or negative content.

Facebook claims that the study was done with appropriate protections for people's information.

ICO could force organizations to change their policies and levy fines of up to 500,000 pounds.