F’book split from data partners pops stock

Facebook shares rebounded Thursday, bringing at least a temporary end to a weeks-long slide for the beleaguered social network.

The Mark Zuckerberg-run site, whose stock has tumbled more than 21 percent from its Feb. 1 high, saw its shares climb 4.4 percent Thursday, to $159.79.

The bounce-back came just a day after the social network said it would end its partnerships with several large data brokers who help advertisers target people on the social network.

“While this is common industry practice, we believe this step, winding down over the next six months, will help improve people’s privacy on Facebook,” the company said in a blog post.

Facebook has for years given advertisers the option of targeting their ads based on data collected by companies such as Acxiom Corp. and Experian PLC.

The tool has been widely used among certain categories of advertisers — such as automakers, luxury goods producers and consumer packaged goods companies — who do not sell directly to consumers and have relatively little information about who their customers are, according to Facebook.

Acxiom saw its shares tumble 19 percent on Thursday in the wake of Facebook’s announcement of its breakup with the firm. Acxiom expects to see its 2019 revenue and prof- itability decrease by as much as $25 million.

Facebook is under pressure to improve its handling of data after disclosing that private information of about 50 million users wrongly ended up in the hands of Manhattan-based political consultancy Cambridge Analytica.

Washington lawmakers have asked Zuckerberg to testify before Congress and explain Facebook’s handling of the data.