Bbc world news facebook scandal
You're likely referring to the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica data scandal, which was a major news story in 2018. Here's a brief summary:
What happened:
In 2014, a researcher named Aleksandr Kogan created a personality quiz app on Facebook called "This is Your Digital Life." The app collected data not only from users who took the quiz but also from their friends, using Facebook's "friend permission" feature. Kogan then shared this data with Cambridge Analytica, a political consulting firm that worked with the Trump campaign during the 2016 US presidential election.
The scandal:
It was later discovered that Cambridge Analytica had harvested the data of millions of Facebook users without their consent, using it to create psychological profiles of voters and influence their behavior. This raised serious concerns about the misuse of personal data and the potential for manipulation of elections.
BBC's involvement:
The BBC was one of the first major news organizations to investigate the scandal. In March 2018, the BBC's Panorama program aired a documentary titled "The Great Hack," which exposed the extent of the data harvesting and its potential impact on the 2016 US election.
Key findings:
The BBC's investigation found that:
- Cambridge Analytica had harvested data from up to 87 million Facebook users, including millions of Americans.
- The data was used to create psychological profiles of voters, which were then used to target them with personalized political messages.
- Cambridge Analytica had worked with the Trump campaign during the 2016 election, and its CEO, Alexander Nix, had met with Trump's team to discuss the use of the data.
- Facebook had known about the data harvesting since 2015 but had failed to take adequate action to stop it.
Consequences:
The scandal led to widespread outrage and calls for greater regulation of social media companies. Facebook faced numerous lawsuits and fines, and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, was summoned to testify before the US Congress. Cambridge Analytica shut down in May 2018, and its CEO was suspended.
Lessons learned:
The Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal highlighted the need for greater transparency and accountability in the use of personal data. It also underscored the importance of robust data protection regulations and the need for social media companies to take responsibility for the data they collect and store.
I hope this summary helps!