Facebook Confirms Up to 87 Million Users Hit by Cambridge Analytica Scandal
Facebook reveals that the data firm Cambridge Analytica potentially harvests information from up to 87 million users, a figure much higher than previous estimates. This massive breach highlights significant vulnerabilities in how the social network protects user privacy.
Facebook discloses that up to 87 million users potentially have their personal data harvested by the political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. This new estimate significantly exceeds the original figure of roughly 50 million users, revealing a much larger scale of the privacy breach. The affected individuals primarily reside in the United States, though the scandal raises worldwide concerns about data security.
The social media giant explains that a third-party personality quiz app collects this vast amount of information without explicit user consent. Because the app gathers not only the quiz takers' data but also the public profile details of their entire friends network, the reach of the breach expands exponentially. Facebook acknowledges that it fails to properly monitor and restrict this type of third-party data sharing at the time.
In response to the growing fallout, Facebook implements new platform changes to prevent future abuses of this nature. The company restricts developers' access to user data, disables the ability to search for users via their phone numbers, and launches a tool that notifies users if their information is misused. These reactive measures come as lawmakers and the public demand stricter oversight and accountability from the technology industry.