Facebook Analytic Scandal

Facebook was recently reported to have had data released on over 87 million users thanks to the help of Cambridge Analytica. According to an article on Forbes, CEO, Alexander Taylor has stepped down to resume is previous role of Chief Data Officer. People typically know of Cambridge Analytica because they were the firm helping run the Trump campaign. Cambridge Analytica announced on Wednesday Taylor was stepping down after just being appointed on March 20^th, after previous CEO was suspended for the data leak according to Kathleen Chaykowski.

Cambridge Analytica got themselves into so much trouble after obtaining this data on so many Facebook users through a researcher collecting the data illegally through a self-made app designed to bypass the policy change on Facebook’s data collecting. Facebook changed its policy in 2014 after some privacy concerns with users. Facebook allowed this collection of data but only after permission had been granted and authorized in the app itself. Aleksandr Kogan, the apps developer, was the reason Cambridge Analytica had access to all of the data has released.

Cambridge Analytica had claimed to delete its data after using it for analytics and measurement purposes. Facebook learned in February, Cambridge had not been deleting it’s data and when it was all leaked, issues began to arise. Facebook banned Cambridge Analytica from using any of its services and in a hearing with Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, he claims to have banned any employee and associate of Cambridge from Facebook as well.

Zuckerberg was brought before congress to testify to Facebook’s policies, content and association. I am interested to find out how it all plays out with congress and with Facebook’s future. I actually sat down and watched the hearing and I thought Zuckerberg handled himself really for being under as much fire as he was. Understandably he was being put under a lot of pressure being the CEO of the company whose users information was spread all of over everywhere, but he handled himself well and I think it is time for Cambridge Analytica to take the responsibility for what they did.