Cambridge analytica facebook news

A timely topic!

Cambridge Analytica, a political consulting firm, was at the center of a major data privacy scandal in 2018, involving Facebook and the harvesting of millions of users' personal data without their consent. Here's a summary of the key events:

What happened:

  1. In 2014, Cambridge Analytica, a company founded by Alexander Nix, was hired by the Trump campaign to help with data analysis and targeting during the 2016 US presidential election.
  2. Cambridge Analytica's CEO, Alexander Nix, had a connection with Dr. Aleksandr Kogan, a University of Cambridge lecturer who created a personality quiz app called "This is Your Digital Life" that collected data from millions of Facebook users.
  3. The app, which was launched in 2013, asked users to share their Facebook data, including their friends' data, without their explicit consent. This allowed Cambridge Analytica to collect data on millions of users, even if they didn't use the app themselves.
  4. Cambridge Analytica used this data to create psychological profiles of users, which were then used to target political ads and influence voters during the 2016 election.
  5. In 2015, Facebook discovered that Cambridge Analytica had harvested the data, but instead of taking action, Facebook allowed the company to continue using the data, citing a loophole in its policies.

The scandal unfolds:

  1. In March 2018, The Guardian and The New York Times published investigations revealing the extent of Cambridge Analytica's data harvesting and its use in the 2016 election.
  2. Facebook's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, initially downplayed the issue, saying that the data was collected with users' consent. However, it was later revealed that many users were unaware that their data was being shared.
  3. The scandal sparked widespread outrage, with many calling for greater transparency and regulation of social media companies.
  4. In April 2018, Facebook announced that it had suspended Cambridge Analytica and its parent company, SCL Group, from its platform.
  5. In May 2018, the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) launched an investigation into Cambridge Analytica's data harvesting practices.
  6. In July 2018, the ICO fined Cambridge Analytica's parent company, SCL Group, £15 million (approximately $20 million) for violating data protection laws.

Aftermath:

  1. Cambridge Analytica filed for bankruptcy in May 2018 and ceased operations.
  2. Facebook faced numerous lawsuits and regulatory investigations, including a $5 billion fine from the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in July 2019.
  3. The scandal led to increased scrutiny of social media companies and calls for greater regulation of data privacy and online political advertising.
  4. In 2019, Facebook announced changes to its data policies, including the requirement that third-party developers obtain explicit consent from users to access their data.

The Cambridge Analytica scandal highlighted the need for greater transparency and accountability in the use of personal data, particularly in the context of political advertising. It also led to increased scrutiny of social media companies and calls for greater regulation of the industry.