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| Mark Zuckerberg ‘prepares to break silence’ on Cambridge Analytica scandal | Mark Zuckerberg ‘prepares to break silence’ on Cambridge Analytica scandal |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was expected to break his public silence on a controversy over user data that has engulfed his company in recent days. | |
| The embattled social media platform has been on the defensive after reports surfaced that a political consulting agency employed by Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, Cambridge Analytica, secured data from some 50 million users in an effort to influence voter behaviour in the 2016 presidential contest. | The embattled social media platform has been on the defensive after reports surfaced that a political consulting agency employed by Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, Cambridge Analytica, secured data from some 50 million users in an effort to influence voter behaviour in the 2016 presidential contest. |
| As the outcry entered another day, Mr Zuckerberg faced increasing pressure to make a public statement. Mr Zuckerberg was reportedly planning to speak about his plans for rebuilding users' trust. | As the outcry entered another day, Mr Zuckerberg faced increasing pressure to make a public statement. Mr Zuckerberg was reportedly planning to speak about his plans for rebuilding users' trust. |
| While Facebook has denied wrongdoing, casting blame on a researcher who passed survey data to Cambridge Analytica and faulting the company for lying about deleting information, an ongoing global backlash has stretched into the worlds of business and politics. | While Facebook has denied wrongdoing, casting blame on a researcher who passed survey data to Cambridge Analytica and faulting the company for lying about deleting information, an ongoing global backlash has stretched into the worlds of business and politics. |
| Criticism of Facebook continued to mount as UK Prime Minister Theresa May questioned the company’s safeguards and a prominent technology executive urged people to abandon the site. | Criticism of Facebook continued to mount as UK Prime Minister Theresa May questioned the company’s safeguards and a prominent technology executive urged people to abandon the site. |
| Calling allegations that Facebook user data was misused “very concerning”, Ms May told MPs in the House of Commons that “People need to have confidence in how their personal data is used”. | |
| Ms May said she expected the company to “fully comply” with authorities investigating the controversy. Earlier this week, auditors retained by Facebook who were at Cambridge Analytica’s London offices stood down at the request of the UK Information Commissioner’s Office, which was seeking a warrant to examine the company’s data. | Ms May said she expected the company to “fully comply” with authorities investigating the controversy. Earlier this week, auditors retained by Facebook who were at Cambridge Analytica’s London offices stood down at the request of the UK Information Commissioner’s Office, which was seeking a warrant to examine the company’s data. |
| Signs also emerged of a consumer uprising goaded by players within the technology industry itself. | Signs also emerged of a consumer uprising goaded by players within the technology industry itself. |
| A founder of WhatsApp, a messaging service that was bought by Facebook in 2014, took to Twitter to urge his more than 30,000 followers to stop using Facebook. | A founder of WhatsApp, a messaging service that was bought by Facebook in 2014, took to Twitter to urge his more than 30,000 followers to stop using Facebook. |
| “It is time”, Brian Acton wrote, appending a #deletefacebook hashtag that proliferated across the platform. | “It is time”, Brian Acton wrote, appending a #deletefacebook hashtag that proliferated across the platform. |
| Adding to the potential repercussions for Facebook, multiple people filed proposed class action lawsuits. | Adding to the potential repercussions for Facebook, multiple people filed proposed class action lawsuits. |
| A shareholder lawsuit accused Facebook of harming investors by concealing information about the data transfer, noting that the company’s stock value has plunged, and a complaint filed by a user in Maryland accused Facebook of acting with “absolute disregard” for personal information and failing to halt “improper data aggregation”. | A shareholder lawsuit accused Facebook of harming investors by concealing information about the data transfer, noting that the company’s stock value has plunged, and a complaint filed by a user in Maryland accused Facebook of acting with “absolute disregard” for personal information and failing to halt “improper data aggregation”. |
| After Facebook spent much of last year in the spotlight for its role in disseminating Russian-linked misinformation during the 2016 presidential campaign, Mr Zuckerberg repeatedly pledged to do a better job of combatting misuse. He opened the year with a public post saying his focus would be on “fixing” the site’s issues. | After Facebook spent much of last year in the spotlight for its role in disseminating Russian-linked misinformation during the 2016 presidential campaign, Mr Zuckerberg repeatedly pledged to do a better job of combatting misuse. He opened the year with a public post saying his focus would be on “fixing” the site’s issues. |
| He is now confronting amplifying demands to publicly account for how Cambridge Analytica was able to sweep in reams of user data. Elected officials in both the US and the UK have called on Mr Zuckerberg himself to testify, saying surrogates would not be sufficient. | He is now confronting amplifying demands to publicly account for how Cambridge Analytica was able to sweep in reams of user data. Elected officials in both the US and the UK have called on Mr Zuckerberg himself to testify, saying surrogates would not be sufficient. |
| Sign of widespread discontent could again be found on Twitter, where some users shared a #WheresZuck hashtag as the site’s founder remained publicly mum. | Sign of widespread discontent could again be found on Twitter, where some users shared a #WheresZuck hashtag as the site’s founder remained publicly mum. |
| In its public statement on the controversy, Facebook noted that users who downloaded an app designed by researcher Aleksandr Kogan did so willingly. | In its public statement on the controversy, Facebook noted that users who downloaded an app designed by researcher Aleksandr Kogan did so willingly. |
| “People knowingly provided their information, no systems were infiltrated, and no passwords or sensitive pieces of information were stolen or hacked”, the company said. | “People knowingly provided their information, no systems were infiltrated, and no passwords or sensitive pieces of information were stolen or hacked”, the company said. |
| Mr Kogan has defended his conduct, saying he had been ensured that everything he was doing was “perfectly legal”. | |
| “My view is that I'm being basically used as a scapegoat by both Facebook and Cambridge Analytica”, the researcher told the BBC. |