The Facebook- Cambridge Analytica Scandal: No stranger to public dissatisfaction, Facebook Inc. is facing one of its greatest crises yet. The private data of up to 87 million Facebookers, mostly in the U.S.; was acquired by an analytics firm that, among its other work, supported choose President Donald Trump. In response to that disclosure; legislators and governors in the U.S. and U.K. intensified their scrutiny of the social media giant, and at least some Facebookers deleted their accounts. The turmoil has only scored to the pressure on Facebook; and Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg over how the group was employed during the 2016 presidential campaign to disperse Russian propaganda and also the phoney headlines. Also read, 5 Best VPN for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube)
The Facebook- Cambridge Analytica Scandal
1. Who took what from Facebook?
During the summertime of 2014; the U.K. affiliate of U.S. legislative consulting firm Cambridge Analytica hired a Soviet-born American researcher; Aleksandr Kogan, to collect necessary profile information of Facebookers along with what they preferred to “Like.” About 300,000 Facebookers, most or all of whom were given a small amount; downloaded Kogan’s app, named This Is Your Digital Life; which performed them with a series of polls. Kogan accumulated data not just on those users but, also on their Facebook friends if their privacy settings let it happen — a universe of people initially estimated to be 50 million strong; but, then increased to 87 million. The app, based on service; revealed that it would accumulate data on users and also their friends.
2. Did Kogan have Facebook’s permission?
Typically, yes. Since 2007, Facebook has allowed outside developers to build and offer their apps within its space. When Kogan submitted his app, Facebook also enabled developers to accumulate information on friends of those; who wanted to use their apps if their privacy settings enabled it. “We stated that the users were granting us the right to use the data in broad scope; including selling and licensing the data,” Kogan addressed in a March 18 email obtained by Bloomberg.
3. Then what’s the issue here?
Facebook says Kogan “lied to us” by telling he was collecting the data for research plans only; and meddled the company’s policies by transferring the data to Cambridge Analytica. Kogan says his app’s terms and conditions explicitly allowed “commercial use.” Facebook says that after it determined the situation in 2015; it excluded Kogan’s app and also asked that he “and all parties he had given data to” erase the data.
4. Has the data been destroyed?
Moreover, The New York Times — which revealed the story along with The Observer of London — published on March 18 that emails and documents imply the firm “still possesses most or all of the trove.” Cambridge Analytica has said; that it deleted all the data Kogan gave and, at Facebook’s request.Read on to know more about The Facebook- Cambridge Analytica Scandal.
5. Why did Cambridge Analytica want the data?
Reportedly, it utilizes such data to aim voters with hyper-specific interests, including on Facebook and also other online services, that go well beyond conventional messaging based on party association alone. This is perceived as “psychographic” targeting or modeling. (Also see, Facebook Works with Shady Ad-Scammers)
6. Did Cambridge Analytica pay Kogan?
It included his costs in building his app — more than $800,000 — and let him keep a copy for his own research, the Times reported, citing company emails and financial records.
7. Who is Cambridge Analytica?
It’s a firm that “uses data to change audience behavior,” both politically and commercially, according to its site. Its London-based affiliate, SCL Group, has a past of shady tricks in elections around the world. Cambridge Analytica served in support of the 2016 drives of Trump, Ted Cruz and Ben Carson, all Republicans. It was established in 2013 by former Renaissance Technologies co-CEO Robert Mercer, a primary advocate of Trump in 2016; Trump’s campaign manager, Steve Bannon, also worked on the firm’s board. Days after the first reports about Facebook data, Cambridge Analytica told it had suspended its chief executive officer; Alexander Nix, who caught on camera bragging about the firm’s compliance to use bribes, the trick with sex workers and other perhaps illegal tactics to undermine political candidates.
Conclusion –The Facebook- Cambridge Analytica Scandal
Consequently, Facebook shares fell almost 18 percent in the 10 days after the news broke on March 17. An online “#DeleteFacebook” campaign drew some high-profile support, though Zuckerberg says there’s been no “meaningful impact” on Facebook’s market. Facebook said it pushed a feature that let users enter phone numbers or email addresses into Facebook’s search tool to find other people. The company also will make it simpler for users to customize their privacy settings.
