Facebook has committed itself to inform all concerned in case of unauthorized use of data of millions of its users. This is what Federal Minister Katarina Barley said after meeting with representatives of social network in Berlin. Currently, it is still unclear how many users are affected in this country. The federal government insists that this be clarified, Barley said.
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According to minister, Facebook conceded violations and omissions at meeting. Promises are not enough, Barley said. Companies like Facebook would have to be more closely monitored. According to Facebook, about one percent of 300,000 respondents are supposed to come from Europe and, in turn, “a certain percentage” from Germany.
The exact figures wanted to clarify company se days, said Barley. This also applies to question of how many Germans are affected by total of 50 million. However, furr investigations are needed. The European chief lobbyist of Facebook, Richard Allan, said after meeting: “We are taking necessary steps to ensure that something like this cannot happen again.”
Psychology test opened access to data
About a week ago it became known that data analysis company Cambridge Analytica has been illicitly evaluating information of about 50 million Facebook users. The company, which later assisted US President Donald Trump in his campaign, had received data from a British researcher. This one had spread an app with a psychology survey on Facebook, in which about 300,000 people participated.
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However, app may have had access to some data from users who had not installed application, but were only friends with survey participants. The information should, for example, be about likes and interests. Facebook, according to its own data, experienced it in 2015, but contradicted representation that data had been stolen. Since n, social network has been criticized internationally for not sufficiently protecting data of users.
Zuckerberg should testify
On Monday, U.S. Consumer Protection Agency, FTC, shared that it was investigating Facebook. The managing director, Thomas Pahl, announced that he would like to review data protection rules in particular. After announcement, price of Facebook share declined by at times 5.9 percent. Already last week, company had lost about 75 billion dollars to market value.
At same time it was announced that Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg should testify to US Senate’s Judiciary Committee. The Chairman of Committee, Charles Grassley, said that he had invited Zuckerberg and Chiefs of Google parent company Alphabet and Twitter short-text service to a hearing for April 10th. Zuckerberg should inform about how Facebook is dealing with protection and monitoring of customer data in past and in future.
The European Union Justice Commissioner (EU), Věra Jourová, has already asked Facebook to clarify extent to which European users are affected. She had referred to more stringent European data protection rules (DSGVO), which will enter into force in May. If companies violate m, higher penalties will be imposed: “with possible penalties of up to four percent of worldwide sales, Facebook will also be very careful about how data misuse can be prevented in future,” said EU commissioner.
Lars Klingbeil-What can federal government of Facebook still like? Facebook is unaware of its users ‘ data. Has policy looked out? “Many have been blinded,” says SPD general secretary Lars Klingbeil. © Photo: Ana-Marija Bilandzija
