Facebook Faces Severe Backlash Over Massive Cambridge Analytica Data Scandal
Facebook finds itself at the center of a major controversy involving the alleged harvesting of millions of users' personal data by Cambridge Analytica. The scandal raises serious concerns about data privacy and the potential manipulation of major democratic elections.
Facebook faces intense scrutiny as it attempts to repair its reputation following a massive data hijacking scandal involving London-based elections consultancy Cambridge Analytica. The controversy centers on the alleged harvesting and misuse of personal data, which heightens widespread concerns about whether this information influences the outcome of the 2016 U.S. presidential election and the Brexit vote.
The origins of this scandal trace back to 2010, when Facebook launches its Open Graph platform and allows third-party developers to access vast amounts of user data, including details about users' friends. By 2013, Cambridge academic Aleksandr Kogan exploits this system by creating a personality quiz app called "thisisyourdigitallife," which pays around 300,000 people to take a psychological test while quietly harvesting their extensive personal information.
Because of the permissive nature of Facebook's API at the time, Kogan's app ultimately collects data from millions of unsuspecting Facebook profiles. Facebook eventually changes its developer rules in 2014 to limit this type of broad data access, but the damage is already done as CEO Mark Zuckerberg prepares to testify on Capitol Hill to address the ensuing media firestorm.