Zuckerberg promises to protect data after Cambridge Analytica scandal
FACEBOOK founder Mark Zuckerberg has admitted mistakes and outlined steps to protect user data in light of a privacy scandal involving a “data mining” firm.
Mr Zuckerberg said that Facebook had a responsibility to protect its users’ data and if it failed, “we don’t deserve to serve you”.
Mr Zuckerberg and Facebook No 2, Sheryl Sandberg, have been quiet since news broke on
Friday that Cambridge Analytica may have used data improperly obtained from roughly 50 million Facebook users to try to sway elections.
Facebook has already taken the most important steps to prevent such a situation from happening again, Mr Zuckerberg said.
For example, in 2014, it reduced access outside apps had to user data. However, some of the measures did not take effect until a year later, allowing Cambridge to access the data in the intervening months.
Mr Zuckerberg acknowledges that there is more the company needs to do.
In a Facebook post last night, Mr Zuckerberg said it will ban developers who do not agree to an audit.
An app’s developer will no longer have access to data from people who have not used that app in three months.
Data will also be generally limited to user names, profile photos and email.