Facebook has become embroiled in a data privacy firestorm, following revelations a third-party US analytics firm retained the information of fifty million of users, for several years without permission.
Several American politicians have slammed Facebook, raising concerns over the social media giant’s management of third-party access to users’ information.
Cambridge Analytica is the firm in question, and surrounds speculation it was associated with President Trump’s 2016 campaign.
Facebook has not provided further information on how Cambridge Analytica obtained users’ information, especially without their explicit permission.
The social media giant has since suspended Cambridge Analytica and two associated individuals, after obtaining “reports” they violated the company’s third-party developer terms, specifically around the collection of user data.
Posted on Saturday, Facebook revealed one of the associated individuals [Mr Aleksandr Kogan] shared user data obtained from his ‘personality quiz’ app thisisyourdigitallife, to Cambridge Analytica.
Facebook has informed media it doesn’t consider Mr Kogan’s actions an official “data breach” as he collected the data through legitimate means.
Despite the assertion, several American politicians and authorities are concerned Facebook cannot ensure whether data collected by developers is being shared with third parties.
