Facebook “Improperly Shared” 87 Million Users’ Private Data

In another blow to Facebook’s already dented credibility, its chief technology officer Mike Schroepfer has revealed in a blog post that Facebook had “improperly shared” private information of up to 87 million people with Cambridge Analytica, the UK firm accused of secretively using such data to manipulate public opinion and election outcomes in countries across the world. He also admitted that private data of over half a million Indians was part of this massive misuse.

This latest mea culpa by Facebook hikes up the privacy breach numbers from the earlier estimated 50 million. Through a series of sting operations, Cambridge Analytica was revealed to have unscrupulously collected data secretively harvested by an app planted on Facebook users’ pages. In 2017, Facebook reported that it had 2 billion active users. This is in addition to users of Facebook owned Instagram and Whatsapp.

Facebook also announced that it will inform all 87 million users through a notice that will appear on top of their News Feed on their Facebook page.

Although over 80% of the users whose data was shared with Cambridge Analytica are from the US, it is for the first time that a figure has been put to the Indian angle. It is reported that just 320 people in India downloaded the app which started collecting data not only of the downloaders but all their contacts. In the end, the app ended up with data from 562,455 people.

Although Facebook has over 217 million monthly active users in India, and the data breach seems to affect only a fraction of that but as Facebook and its activities increasingly come under the scanner across the world, it is quite likely that other forms of “improper” data sharing will be revealed in the coming days.

Already, there is outrage in many countries with official investigation being launched in US, UK, Germany, EU, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia. In the US 37 bipartisan State attorneys have written to Facebook demanding to know more about the company’s role in the manipulation of users’ data by the consultancy, Cambridge Analytica. The Federal Trade Commission has launched an investigation and Facebook top officials have received summons from the Senate’s Judiciary Committee and Commerce Committee, and the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

India too has joined the fray – but in a rather watery way. The ministry of electronics and information technology had issued a letter to Cambridge Analytica on 23 March asking them to explain its data use system within a week. But the British firm has not replied yet, reportedly seeking an extension of one week to send its response. The Indian govt. had also sent a letter to Facebook on 28 March seeking information about whether it had shared Indian data with other entities. Facebook is supposed to respond by 7 April.

Besides official investigations, Facebook is also facing what is being called a ‘litigation swarm’, with at least 18 lawsuits filed by users and investors since last month’s revelations about Cambridge Analytica. These suits are not just for privacy violations but also accuse Facebook of agreement breaches, negligence, consumer fraud, unfair competition, securities fraud and racketeering. Top officials of Facebook like CEO Mark Zuckerberg, COO Sheryl Sandberg and board members like Marc Andreessen and Peter Thiel are reportedly facing additional claims from shareholders who accuse them of failing to fulfill their fiduciary duties and wasting corporate assets.