Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday said his company has a "responsibility" to protect its users' data, saying: "If we can't, then we don't deserve to serve you."
"The good news is that the most important actions to prevent this from happening again today we have already taken years ago," Zuckerberg said in a statement posted on his Facebook page. "But we also made mistakes, there's more to do, and we need to step up and do it."
New measures
Zuckerberg highlighted three measures Facebook will implement soon:
- Providing a tool for users to delete third-party apps
- Further restricting developer access to user data
- Banning developers that misused personal data and informed affected users
"I started Facebook, and at the end of the day I'm responsible for what happens on our platform. I'm serious about doing what it takes to protect our community," Zuckerberg said.
Read more: Facebook's Cambridge Analytica data scandal: What you need to know
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Who's who in the Cambridge Analytica scandal?
The faces behind the scandal
Facebook has been slammed for failing to protect the data of more than 50 million users. Their data was used to further conservative political projects, including Brexit and Donald Trump's presidential victory. From a former White House strategist to a Canadian whistle blower, here are the people involved in what some are describing as Facebook's largest data breach.
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Who's who in the Cambridge Analytica scandal?
Whistleblower who hacked Facebook
A 28-year-old Canadian data analytics expert first blew the whistle on the scandal to Britain’s Observer newspaper. Christopher Wylie claims he set up the project for Cambridge Analytica and helped forge ties with Donald Trump’s campaign. He revealed that millions of profiles were hijacked to influence the election. Cambridge Analytica says Wylie has been "misrepresenting himself and the company."
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Who's who in the Cambridge Analytica scandal?
Cambridge Analytica boss
Cambridge Analytica CEO, Alexander Nix, was one of several senior executives filmed by an undercover reporter from Britain's Channel 4. Nix claimed credit for Donald Trump's 2016 electoral victory. He also said his political consultancy could feed untraceable messages on social media. Executives bragged that the firm could use misinformation, bribery and even prostitutes to help win elections.
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Who's who in the Cambridge Analytica scandal?
Psychology academic behind Facebook app
A Moldovan-born Cambridge University researcher developed a personality app that harvested the personal data of 30 million Facebook users. Aleksandr Kogan said he passed the information to Cambridge Analytica, under assurances that what he was doing was legal. But now he says the research firm and Facebook are scapegoating him over the scandal.
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Who's who in the Cambridge Analytica scandal?
Facebook chief was 'deceived' over data use
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was criticized for waiting for four days to respond to the scandal. His social media network claims to be the victim of the whole saga, insisting it was unaware of how the data was being used. Still, Zuckerberg has been summoned by the British and European parliaments, while US consumer regulators have launched an investigation into the firm's use of personal data.
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Who's who in the Cambridge Analytica scandal?
Trump strategist with Cambridge links
Trump's former strategist Steve Bannon helped develop the populist, anti-Washington message that helped the billionaire win the White House. A founding member of right-wing outlet Breitbart News, Bannon is a former board member of Cambridge Analytica and brought in wealthy businessman Robert Mercer as a financial backer. He left the White House last August and Trump has since cut him off.
Author: Nik Martin
'Outraged'
Facebook says it was hoodwinked by Cambridge Analytica, the company that harvested data from millions of social media users on behalf of US President Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign.
"We should not have trusted Cambridge Analytica's certification, and we are not going to make that mistake again," Zuckerberg said.
In a statement cited by US media late on Tuesday, the social media network said: "The entire company is outraged that we were deceived," in a reference to the UK-based political research firm at the center of the scandal.
Read more: Kenyans debate Cambridge Analytica's alleged involvement in 2017 elections
"We are committed to vigorously enforcing our policies to protect people's information and will take whatever steps are required to see that this happens," it continued.
Facebook said its top executives were "working around the clock to get all the facts," after a whistleblower revealed how Cambridge Analytica had improperly accessed the data of 50 million Facebook users to attempt to influence US voters.
Alexander Nix has been suspended as CEO of Cambridge Analytica
The lawsuits begin
Facebook's shares have plummeted since the scandal unfolded, at times losing up to $50 billion (€41 billion) in value. Investors are concerned about the scandal's long-term reputational damage, and whether social media networks may now face tougher regulation.
"I am actually not sure we shouldn't be regulated," Zuckerberg told CNN. "Technology is an increasingly important trend in the world; the question is more the right regulation than should it be regulated."
A San Francisco court on Tuesday saw the first of what could be numerous lawsuits from shareholders who say they have suffered losses due to the social media misleading them about its ability to protect user data.
There is also the potential for lawsuits on behalf of users whose personal information was revealed.
American and European lawmakers have called for Zuckerberg to testify on how user data was compromised and what Facebook plans to do about it. Speaking to CNN, Zuckerberg said he would be willing to testify to the US Congress "if it's the right thing to do."
The social media firm is already under fire for allowing fake news to proliferate on its platform during the US election campaign and has repeatedly faced criticism over the privacy of its 2.1 billion regular users.
Brazilian prosecutors also said on Wednesday that they had opened an investigation into whether Cambridge Analytica acted illegally.
Read more: Fake news '70 percent more likely to be shared'
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Fighting for the internet: Social media, governments and tech companies
Free speech or illegal content?
Whether hate speech, propaganda or activism, governments across the globe have upped efforts to curb content deemed illegal from circulating on social networks. From drawn-out court cases to blanket bans, DW examines how some countries try to stop the circulation of illicit content while others attempt to regulate social media.
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Fighting for the internet: Social media, governments and tech companies
Social media law
After a public debate in Germany, a new law on social media came into effect in October. The legislation imposes heavy fines on social media companies, such as Facebook, for failing to take down posts containing hate speech. Facebook and other social media companies have complained about the law, saying that harsh rules might lead to unnecessary censorship.
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Fighting for the internet: Social media, governments and tech companies
Right to be forgotten
In 2014, the European Court of Justice ruled that European citizens had the right to request search engines, such as Google and Bing, remove "inaccurate, inadequate, irrelevant or excessive" search results linked to their name. Although Google has complied with the ruling, it has done so reluctantly, warning that it could make the internet as "free as the world's least free place."
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Fighting for the internet: Social media, governments and tech companies
Blanket ban
In May 2017, Ukraine imposed sanctions on Russian social media platforms and web services. The blanket ban affected millions of Ukrainian citizens, many of whom were anxious about their data. The move prompted young Ukrainians to protest on the streets, calling for the government to reinstate access to platforms that included VKontakte (VK), Russia's largest social network.
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Fighting for the internet: Social media, governments and tech companies
Safe Harbor
In 2015, the European Court of Justice ruled that Safe Harbor, a 15-year-old pact between the US and EU that allowed the transfer of personal data without prior approval, was effectively invalid. Austrian law student Max Schrems launched the legal proceedings against Facebook in response to revelations made by former US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor, Edward Snowden.
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Fighting for the internet: Social media, governments and tech companies
Regulation
In China, the use of social media is highly regulated by the government. Beijing has effectively blocked access to thousands of websites and platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Instead, China offers its citizens access to local social media platforms, such as Weibo and WeChat, which boast hundreds of millions of monthly users.
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Fighting for the internet: Social media, governments and tech companies
Twitter bans Russia-linked accounts
Many politicians and media outlets blame Russia's influence for Donald Trump's election victory in 2016. Moscow reportedly used Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Instagram to shape public opinion on key issues. In October 2017, Twitter suspended over 2,750 accounts due to alleged Russian propaganda. The platform also banned ads from RT (formerly Russia Today) and the Sputnik news agency.
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Fighting for the internet: Social media, governments and tech companies
Facebook announces propaganda-linked tool
With social media under pressure for allowing alleged Russian meddling, Facebook announced a new project to combat such efforts in November 2017. The upcoming page will give users a chance to check if they "liked" or followed an alleged propaganda account on Facebook or Instagram. Meanwhile, Facebook has come under fire for not protecting user data in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
Author: Lewis Sanders IV (dj)
ls,mm/sms (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)
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