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Senators urge Zuckerberg to avoid 'nightmare' for Facebook users
As expected, Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg was on Capitol Hill today to testify before the Senate Commerce and Judiciary Committees. It was the first of two congressional hearings Zuckerberg is scheduled to attend this week, with the other taking place tomorrow in front of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Senator John Thune (R–South Dakota) opened the hearing by saying that tech companies need to do more to protect user data and prevent harmful conduct on their platforms. "You have an obligation to ensure that [the American] dream doesn't become a nightmare for the scores of people who use Facebook," he said to Zuckerberg, referencing the company's recent mishaps, including the Cambridge Analytica (CA) scandal.
Cambridge Analytica might have accessed private Facebook messages (updated)
Facebook just began notifying people if their information was accessed by Cambridge Analytica yesterday. Soon after, the social media company created a Help Center page that you can check to see if you were one of the affected members who logged into quiz app This Is Your Digital Life. Apparently, doing so not only shared your News Feed, timeline and posts, but also your private messages.
Watch Mark Zuckerberg's first congressional hearing at 2:15PM ET
After a couple weeks of anticipation, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will make the first of two appearances before congressional committees this afternoon. At 2:15PM ET, Zuckerberg with testify before both the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on privacy and user data. This is the first of two days appearances before Congress this week as the Facebook chief will also appear before the House Energy and Commerce Committee tomorrow morning.
Facebook's bounty program offers rewards for reporting data abuse
It's an understatement that Facebook has found itself in some hot water lately in regard to data privacy, thanks to the Cambridge Analytica scandal. CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg is testifying in front of Congress today and tomorrow in regard to the company's actions and the ways it has used personal data. Today, Facebook introduced the Data Abuse Bounty program, which will reward the social network's users for reporting apps that misuse data.
Check right now if Cambridge Analytica used your Facebook data
In the aftermath of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, you're probably wondering: Was I actually affected? After all, the company obtained data on 87 million users (that's the current estimate, anyway.) Facebook has, thankfully, started sending News Feed notifications to explain whether users' accounts were affected. If you're still waiting for yours to come through, however, you can visit this page and find out immediately. In short, it explains if you or your friends ever logged into This Is Your Digital Life — the quiz app developed by university researcher Dr Aleksandr Kogan, which Cambridge Analytica used to profile and manipulate users.
Cambridge Analytica tries to shoot down Facebook data sharing claims
Cambridge Analytica is facing incredible pressure over the Facebook data sharing scandal -- and not surprisingly, it's determined to share its version of events before Mark Zuckerberg testifies in congressional hearings. The company has posted a "series of facts" that challenge some of the allegations made against the company. Not surprisingly, it started by insisting that it didn't do anything illegal: GSR "legally obtained" the data about Facebook users, and "did not illegally or inappropriately" scoop up and share data. Later on, it maintained that it "only collects data with informed consent."
Facebook starts telling users if Cambridge Analytica had their data
Though initial reports estimated that around 50 million Facebook users' information was improperly obtained by Cambridge Analytica, Facebook upped that number to 87 million last week. The company also said that it would soon be informing those users that their information was accessed by the political firm. Today, those notices are going out, Facebook confirmed to us, and every user will see one of two notifications. If your data was obtained by Cambridge Analytica, you'll get a note telling you so. If not, you'll see a message at the top of your news feed with a link to the apps and website management section of your Facebook settings.
What to expect from Mark Zuckerberg’s congressional hearings
The next stop on Mark Zuckerberg's apology tour is the United States Congress. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Facebook co-founder and CEO will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and the House Energy and Commerce Committee. This comes after weeks of uncertainty over whether Zuckerberg would agree to meet with lawmakers following the Cambridge Analytica (CA) scandal, which may have exposed the private information of up to 87 million users.
Facebook to open up its data for research on social media and elections
Facebook announced a new initiative today aimed at improving its policies and the role its platform plays in elections. The company acknowledged that it was slow to respond to election interference efforts that took place on its site and says it wants to learn more about social media's role in elections around the world. To do that, it's putting together a group of researchers that will then develop a research plan, get proposals for projects that address issues defined in its plan and manage a peer review process that will determine who will receive funding and access to Facebook data for their research.
Recommended Reading: Does Facebook need to be regulated?
How the government could fix Facebook Julia Angwin, The Atlantic There are a number of issues surrounding the Facebook and Cambridge Analytica saga. Perhaps the most prominent one is the question of whether or not the social network needs to be regulated by the government. The Atlantic discusses four ways regulators could "fix" Facebook if there is a move to enact reforms.
Facebook suspends another data firm: AggregateIQ
Late Friday the Cambridge Analytica data scandal spread wider, as Facebook announced it has also suspended Canadian data firm AggregateIQ. In a statement to The Guardian, Facebook said "In light of recent reports that AggregateIQ may be affiliated with (CA parent company) SCL and may, as a result, have improperly received FB user data, we have added them to the list of entities we have suspended from our platform while we investigate." Former CA employee Christopher Wylie claimed that he helped set up the company and his lawyers have said it received a payment from the Vote Leave campaign in a way that exceeded spending limits. On Aggregate IQ's website, the following statement is posted: AggregateIQ is a digital advertising, web and software development company based in Canada. It is and has always been 100% Canadian owned and operated. AggregateIQ has never been and is not a part of Cambridge Analytica or SCL. Aggregate IQ has never entered into a contract with Cambridge Analytica. Chris Wylie has never been employed by AggregateIQ. AggregateIQ works in full compliance within all legal and regulatory requirements in all jurisdictions where it operates. It has never knowingly been involved in any illegal activity. All work AggregateIQ does for each client is kept separate from every other client. AggregateIQ has never managed, nor did we ever have access to, any Facebook data or database allegedly obtained improperly by Cambridge Analytica. Facebook previously suspended CA, its parent company Strategic Communication Laboratories (SCL), Kogan and the whistleblower Wylie's access, pending its investigation into the use of data snagged by Kogan's app. Since then Facebook has said the company's data could have come from as many as 87 million people. Former Vote Leave volunteer Shahmir Sanni (pictured above, with Wylie) provided documents that he says prove the campaign not only spent some 2.7 million pounds with AIQ, but that it funneled an additional 625k as a "donation" through the BeLeave youth group. A separate report by The Guardian breaks down Wylie's claim of links between AIQ and SCL/CA, which have become notable for their work on Donald Trump's campaign, although they claim none of the disputed Facebook data was involved. According to Wylie, until 2016 AIQ's only client was CA, it was referred to as SCL Canada for a time and he says that the Canadian company managed the Cambridge Analytica tech platform. Until earlier this week, AIQ's website proudly showed a quote from the Vote Leave campaign director saying "we couldn't have done it without them."
Mark Zuckerberg will testify at a joint Senate hearing on April 10th
As details of the Cambridge Analytica scandal emerged, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was asked to testify before multiple Congressional committees as well as the UK Parliament. Earlier this week, the US House of Representatives confirmed that Zuckerberg had agreed to appear before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on April 11th and now, the Senate has announced that the CEO will also testify at a joint Senate hearing. On April 10th, Zuckerberg will appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.
Facebook is struggling with the EU's stricter privacy laws
There's never an ideal time for your multi-billion dollar company to take center stage in one of the most high-profile privacy scandals ever seen, but for Mark Zuckerberg, the Cambridge Analytica fiasco couldn't have come at a worse point. As Europe readies itself for the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) coming into force on May 25, all eyes are on Facebook, scrutinizing its every move ahead of the biggest web privacy shake up of our time. And it's not done a great job of instilling confidence so far.
Facebook wanted users’ medical data for a research project
CNBC reports today that Facebook was recently designing a research project that would collect users' Facebook data and medical information in order to develop insights into how social data could inform treatment development and patient care. The project has since been halted, but the company had approached a number of health organizations including Stanford Medical School and the American College of Cardiology.
Read Mark Zuckerberg's media Q&A on data security
Yesterday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg hosted a call with the media in which he spoke about the Cambridge Analytica situation and how Facebook is working to protect its users' data going forward. The transcript of that call, including the Q&A that took place after Zuckerberg made his opening remarks, is now available online. The company has posted it as part of its "Hard Questions" series, which has previously tackled subjects like whether social media is good for mental health and democracy, how Facebook counters terrorism and hate speech.
Facebook restricts how you can search for other people
Facebook is attempting to make things right with its users after the Cambridge Analytica scandal. In a blog post, the social network's CTO Mike Schroepfer admitted the fiasco may have exposed 87 million individuals' data -- and he outlined how that won't happen again. As part of those security adjustments, Facebook is disabling one feature that could have contributed to the mess: Enabling anyone to search users by phone number.
Mark Zuckerberg: We didn’t do enough to keep users safe
In light of the news that Facebook has rewritten its data policy, and that Cambridge Analytica may have had up to 87 million users' data, founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg hosted a call with the media to discuss the company's efforts to better protect people's information. Zuckerberg began by sending his condolences to everyone at YouTube after Tuesday's shooting at its headquarters in San Bruno, California, where multiple people were injured by a lone attacker. He then went on talk about the state of Facebook and said that the social network didn't do enough to prevent abuse of its platform, from the spread of fake news to not properly protecting user data.
Mark Zuckerberg will testify before Congress on April 11th
Last week, Congress asked Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on the topic of data privacy. Now the House of Representatives has confirmed that Zuckerberg has agreed to appear; the hearing will take place on April 11th at 11:00 AM ET.
Facebook users can now delete third-party apps in bulk
In the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook has been making some changes, giving users a little bit more control over their data and how it's used. Today, TechCrunch reports that the company is making it easier to remove third-party apps. Previously, users had to delete each one separately, making the removal process rather time-consuming for some. But now, Facebook is rolling out a way to delete multiple apps at once. Though you can't just grab them all at the same time, you can select as many as you'd like and delete them in bulk.
Privacy groups ask tech companies to sign user data 'security pledge'
A number of organizations including the ACLU, Fight for the Future and Color of Change have called on tech companies to sign a pledge and commit to protecting their users' data. The move comes as repercussions of the Cambridge Analytica scandal continue to unfold. "Technology can empower and grant freedoms to us all, but now our online data is empowering data brokers, ISPs, surveillance companies and runaway government agencies to discriminate, exploit and limit our freedoms," says the Security Pledge website. "Companies and governments can exploit the massive troves of data companies have on people and weak links in internet security. They can twist the internet into something it was never meant to be: a weapon against the public."
