Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg finally speaks up on Cambridge Analytica scandal
After five days of collective outrage from the public and lawmakers alike over Facebook's blatant disregard for data privacy and security, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has finally broken his silence on the Cambridge Analytica scandal. In his first public statement over the issue, he acknowledged the company's lax terms of service, admitted mistakes and pledged an investigation into the matter.
We are responsible for protecting your data: Zuckerberg
Ensuring that Facebook is changing the way it shares data with third-party applications, Zuckerberg said, "We have a responsibility to protect your data, and if we can't then we don't deserve to serve you." He admitted that there was "a breach of trust between Facebook and the people who share their data with us and expect us to protect it."
Cambridge Analytica collected 50 million Facebook users' data without permission
Earlier, it was reported that data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica obtained user data of 50 million people from Facebook without their permission to allegedly manipulate their votes ahead of the 2016 US presidential elections. This was made possible due to Facebook's lax terms of service that allow third-party apps to collect personal information like contacts, photos, and posts.
Facebook later changed its policies to limit information misuse
Zuckerberg has also been summoned by a parliamentary committee to provide evidence about the extent of data used by Cambridge Analytica. Notably, his net worth dropped by around $6 billion in just one day due to the controversy. The company has since changed its terms of service to limit the information third parties can collect.
Will reduce the data you give third-party apps: Facebook COO
Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg said, "We're taking steps to reduce the data you give an app when you use Facebook login to your name, profile photo, and email address. We'll make it easier for you to understand which apps you've allowed to access your data."
Facebook will ban all apps that accessed substantial user data
Zuckerberg promised to audit and ban all apps that accessed large amounts of user data on Facebook in 2014, which is before the company made its terms of service more stringent. It will also inform the users whose personally identifiable information was accessed by developers during that time, which includes the 50 million people who had no clue about Cambridge Analytica misusing their data.
