EU, US lawmakers scold Facebook, Cambridge Analytica
March 19, 2018
Lawmakers in the EU and the US demand answers following reports that a firm harvested data from 50 million Facebook users to influence the US election. Cambridge Analytica reportedly retained illegally obtained data.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/K. O´Connor
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Politicians in the European Union and the United States have expressed concern about digital privacy after media reported that a consultancy that worked on Donald Trump's 2016 presidential election campaign gained inappropriate access to the personal data of 50 million Facebook users.
On Monday, EU Justice Secretary Vera Jourova called the revelations "horrifying," saying that she will "seek further clarification from Facebook" when she travels to the US next week.
EU Parliament President Antonio Tajani tweeted that the "European Parliament will investigate fully, calling digital platforms to account."
In the US, Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota and a member of the chamber's Judiciary Committee, said on Sunday that "it's clear these platforms can't police themselves."
In Britain, Conservative legislator Damian Collins, the head of the parliamentary media committee, said he wanted the social network's chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, or another Facebook executive to appear before the body. Collins said the company had "consistently understated" the risk of data leaks and given misleading answers to the committee.
On Monday, a spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said the allegations were "very concerning" and that the government expects "Facebook, Cambridge Analytica all the organisations involved to cooperate fully."
Psychological profiles
Former employee Chris Wylie told several media outlets that UK-based Cambridge Analytica built psychological profiles to target voters with specific election-related content. He told Britain's Channel 4 news that the company had amassed a huge database very quickly from an app developed by an academic that vacuumed up data from Facebook users who agreed to fill out a survey, but also from their friends and contacts — which many did not know about.
"Imagine I go and ask you: I say, 'Hey, if I give you $1, $2, could you fill up this survey for me, just do it on this app,' and you say, 'Fine,'" Wylie said. "I don't just capture what your responses are, I capture all of the information about you from Facebook. But also this app then crawls through your social network and captures all of that data also."
'Yeah, I'm disturbed'
Though it remains unclear whether the Republican-controlled US Congress intends to act, members of Trump's party tepidly criticized Facebook and Cambridge Analytica. "We'll learn more about this in the days to come," Florida Senator Marco Rubio said. "But, yeah, I'm disturbed by that."
In a statement released on Sunday, Facebook — which has also come under fire in continental Europe for its privacy policies — pledged to conduct a "comprehensive internal and external review" to determine whether the user data in question still exists. Facebook suspended Cambridge Analytica's account after accusing a Cambridge University psychology lecturer of violating policy by lying and passing data on to the firm from an app he had developed.
Fighting for the internet: Social media, governments and tech companies
Germany has passed a new law on social media in 2017, despite complaints from social media companies worried about the impact on their business. But how far is too far? DW examines the trends.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/W. Kastl
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.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/W. Kastl
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.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/T. Hase
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."
Image: picture-alliance/ROPI/Eidon/Scavuzzo
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.
Image: picture-alliance/NurPhoto/Str
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.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Warnand
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.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Imaginechina/Da Qing
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.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. Rourke
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.
