Facebook World Wide Data Scandal

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Advertisers have had “enough” and made themselves heard after the latest data breach that left Facebook users susceptible to exploitation.

Co-founder Mark Zuckerberg spoke out for the first time about the hack on Wednesday evening, March 21, 2018, to say a “rupture of trust” had taken place and that he is “very sorry.”

Nonetheless, the data is out and already being used in incredibly damaging and negative ways. That shoe cannot be untied.

Advertisers might spend money somewhere else if the social media site fails to provide certification about the security of users data.

David Kershaw of M&C Saatchi believes advertisers are serious and they are going to continue to push for changes. He contends that if advertisers continue to demand Facebook solve its issues, they would help bring about measured improvement in social networking.

Hashtags like #DeleteFacebook and #BoycottFacebook have become very popular. “It is much more likely to be hard money from advertisers rather than consumers running hashtags on Twitter,” explained Kershaw.

In 2014 a Facebook quiz invited users to find out their personality type. This was common with apps and games at that time. It was created to intake not only the data of the person taking the quiz but also the data of their friends. FB has since managed to reduce the amount of information developers can gather this way.

Christopher Wylie, who worked for Cambridge Analytica, a political consulting firm, declares that because 270,000 individuals took the quiz. The information of over 50 million users, mainly in the U.S., was taken without their consent through their friend networks.

According to Wylie, the data was sold to the analysis company, who then used it to intellectually profile people and send pro-Trump material to them. The consulting firm denies any of it was used as part of the services it provided to the Trump campaign.

Facebook is coming up against the possibility of an advertiser exodus in the United Kingdom. The scandal prompted widespread calls for new regulations and knocked off almost $50 billion from its market cap. Could this be enough to shut down Facebook for good?

ISBA is group speaking for about 3,000 advertisers, involving major brands like Unilever and Proctor & Gamble. They are firm about getting answers from Facebook in the aftermath of the Cambridge Analytica data-mining outbreak. The other companies the group does business with could leave the social network if their problems are not addressed.

Members of Congress, those most infuriated during the scandal, used the moment to request Zuckerberg testify in Washington, but so far, no one has said they would mandate his appearance. Many had shown interest in about having Zuckerberg testify during a few hearings last fall when Facebook, Google, and Twitter was called in to discuss election interference from their platforms.

The pattern of deemphasizing the problem until they think problem looks like it will settle down, then the chaos builds seems repetitive. After Zuckerberg cannot ignore the chaos any longer, he lets his voice be heard and apologizes. This pattern needs to be changed, perhaps losing advertisers and users will move Facebook to make serious repairs to their business plan and boost security measures.

Written by Richard Baker
Edited by Cathy Milne

Sources:

BuzzFeedNews: Why Nothing Is Going To Happen To Facebook Or Mark Zuckerberg
BBCNews: Facebook warned ‘enough is enough” by advertisers
FOX61: Advertisers tell Facebook ‘enough is enough’ as a group representing 3,000 brands threatens to leave

Featured Image Courtesy English106’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Top Image Courtesy of Sarah Marshall Flickr Page – Creative Commons License

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