Marks Zuckerberg has admitted Facebook failed to protect user data and prevent manipulation of its platform. Some 87 million users had their personal information harvested for political purposes by Cambridge Analytica.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/K. Nietfeld
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On the eve of his first congressional hearing, Facebook CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg admitted that the social network did not do enough to prevent the misuse of user data, placing the blame squarely on himself.
"It's clear now that we didn't do enough to prevent these tools from being used for harm ..." Zuckerberg said in written testimony released by the US House Energy and Commerce Committee. "That goes for fake news, foreign interference in elections, and hate speech, as well as developers and data privacy."
The 33-year-old Facebook chief's testimony was released ahead of the first of two scheduled appearances before congressional committees on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The company is facing the worst privacy crisis in its 14-year history after whistleblowers revealed that the personal information of tens of millions users, mainly in the US, was obtained by political consultancy firm Cambridge Analytica. Facebook itself admitted that the number of affected users is estimated to be around 87 million.
London-based Cambridge Analytica, which counts US President Donald Trump's election campaign among its past clients, has disputed the estimated number of affected users.
"We didn't take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake," Zuckerberg's testimony continued. "It was my mistake, and I'm sorry. I started Facebook, I run it, and I'm responsible for what happens here."
Zuckerberg also swore he would take the necessary steps to ensure user data would never again be ill-gotten and misused by an outside party. Other applications, he also noted, were being investigated for their handling of data.
Who's who in the Cambridge Analytica scandal?
Following revelations that Facebook user data was swiped to help influence the US election, five men are under the spotlight. As those linked to the scandal continue to trade blame, DW looks at what role each one played.
Image: picture alliance/AP/dpa/E. Vucci
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.
Image: picture-alliance/empics/D. Lipinski
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."
Image: Reuters/H. Nicholls
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.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/C. Charisius
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.
Image: University of Cambridge
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.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
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.
Image: picture alliance/AP/dpa/E. Vucci
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"We're in the process of investigating every app that had access to a large amount of information before we locked down our platform in 2014," he said, referring to the company's decision then to restrict app developer access to only the individual user's data, rather than that of all their contacts, as well.
"If we detect suspicious activity, we'll do a full forensic audit. And if we find that someone is improperly using data, we'll ban them and tell everyone affected."
Over the weekend, Facebook announced that it had suspended AggregateIQ (AIQ), a Canada-based data-mining firm used by the official pro-Brexit campaign group, Vote Leave. Former Cambridge Analytica employee Christopher Wylie told a UK parliamentary committee that AIQ and Cambridge Analytica were effectively one-and-the-same company.
Also suspended was US-based data analysis firm Cubeyou, following reports it had harvested user data from psychological testing apps for commercial purposes.
Facebook reveals more affected in data breach
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Tackling election meddling
Zuckerberg also announced that Facebook would take the necessary steps to prevent the social network being used for the type of online information warfare US authorities have accused Russia of pursuing.
The 33-year-old said the social network would be launching an independent research commission tasked with looking into the effects of social media on elections and democracy. According to Zuckerberg, the committee would work with US foundations and a committee of academic experts to come up with research topics and select independent researchers to study them.
Last week, Facebook backed proposed legislation known as the "Honest Ads Act," which would require social network sites to disclose the identities of political ad campaign buyers, as well as implement a verification process for people purchasing so-called "issue" ads, which could exploit divisive subjects such as gun laws or racism.
The companies and people unfriending Facebook
A number of companies have said they are either abandoning Facebook or pressing pause of their use of the social network. But the company said it hasn't seen a meaningful number of people ready to #deletefacebook.
Image: Colourbox/Maxx-Studio
Playboy
Playboy Enterprises said it is closing its Facebook pages as the scandal surrounding the social network grows. Playboy said the privacy scandal was the final straw after long having had difficulty posting to the site due to Facebook's strict rules to keep nudity off the platform. Some 25 million people interacted with Playboy's Facebook pages.
Image: Getty Images/J. Kempin
SpaceX and Tesla
Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur behind electric car manufacturer Tesla and rocket producer SpaceX, wrote on Twitter he would delete both companies' Facebook accounts. The decision appeared to be spontaneous after Musk wrote he "didn't realize" a Facebook account for SpaceX even existed. The accounts of both companies each had around 2.6 million followers before they were deleted.
Image: Reuters/T. Baur
Mozilla
The company behind popular web browser Firefox said in a statement that it was "pressing pause" on its Facebook advertising. But it said it would not delete its Facebook account. Instead, the company would stop posting regular updates on the account. "When Facebook takes stronger action in how it shares customer data ... we'll consider returning," it said.
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Commerzbank
Commerzbank, one of Germany's largest banks, said it was pausing its Facebook advertising. The head of the company's brand management told German business newspaper "Handelsblatt:" "We're taking a break with our advertising on Facebook. Data protection and maintaining a good brand are important to us." He added that the company would wait and see before it made any further decisions.
Image: Daniel Roland/AFP/Getty Images
WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton
The co-founder of messaging service WhatsApp, Brian Acton, wrote in a March 20 post on Twitter: "It is time. #deletefacebook." Acton became a billionaire after selling WhatsApp to Facebook in 2014. He recently invested in a rival messaging app, Signal, after leaving WhatsApp in 2017. Acton had a history with Facebook before 2014. He unsuccessfully interviewed for a job at the company in 2009.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Gerten
Sonos
The US-based speaker manufacturer said it was pulling its advertising from Facebook and other social media platforms, including Facebook-owned Instagram. Sonos said recent revelations "raised questions" about whether Facebook had done enough to safeguard user privacy. But it said it would not completely "abandon" Facebook because it was an "incredibly effective" service.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Sonos
Dr. Oetker's out then back in
The German food corporation let its Twitter followers vote on whether it should delete its Facebook account. "We'll delete our Facebook page for 1,000 retweets," it wrote in a March 21 post. It was quickly retweeted over 1,000 times, leading the company to deactivate its Facebook page. But it reactivated the account a day later, writing on Twitter that it "couldn't be" without Facebook.
Image: Dr. Oetker
Facebook responds
Asked about the decision of some companies to leave the social network, Facebook said: "Most of the businesses we've spoken with this week are pleased with the steps we've outlined to better protect people's data, and they have confidence that we'll respond to these challenges and become a better partner and company as a result."
