Actually. Worse. It’ll encourage mal-behavior as now the punishment is well known and way less than “consultation” fees gained.

I think it'd be dangerous for a business to assume that penalties are always this low. This is an example of the system getting things wrong in the eyes of the public more than a precedent that shows how penalties always work.

Is it really so far fetched to assume that the penalties will be low when the penalties have always been low?

This isn't GDPR violation penalty, it's the US

Agreed. If that's all it cost them then they'll consider it a bargain!