THE FACEBOOK-CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA SCANDAL
On March 2018, Anglo-Saxon media have revealed that Cambridge Analytica, a Collection & Data Processing company specialized influence strategy within Government and military organizations has been involved in a big scandal concerning collecting and handling data via Facebook. Which information has impacted Donald Trump’s Presidential campaign and the Brexit vote.
Both facts are really important and are possible to have an impact on the World’s life for the nest years to come, first Donald trump’s election on January 20th 2017 and second the UK leaving the European Union by the Brexit voting on JUNE 23rd 2016.
THE FIRM BEING ACCUSED BY AN EX-EMPLOYEE
Since March 17th, investigation by the Guardian and The New York times have revealed Facebook data handling over these two major facts and it is said that it’s a former employee of Cambridge Analytica accused the Firm itself of having picked informations from 50millions users accounts on Facebook to harm in both Trump’s campaign and some pro-Brexit. Cambridge Analytica is particularly interested in Cambridge University searches tending to understand an individual psychological profile by following his Facebook activities, including ‘Likes’.
Most of the Cambridge searchers have refused to get associated with Cambridge Analytica by using this technique commercially but Russian Aleksandr Kogan has accepted by collecting the informations from 50millions users an d developing the Web Application ‘This is your Digital Life’. Well, the application proposed a that users are asked to fill in as simple fun, but in fact he used the informations for his searches afterwards.
MANY IMPORTANT NAMES INVOLVED
On the top of the list of Cambridge Analytica is Steve Bannon, Donald Trump’s former counselor, he has been part of it CEO for a long time. His main goal is use the collected data to influence as long as possible American’ opinions and views so that he can manipulate them to set up plots for example: the Guardian and The New York Times investigations have accused Steve Bannon of having influenced millions of Americans’ voting during the last presidential election .
The same accusation on the billionaire Robert Mercer, climate-sensitive, ultra-conservative and close to the pro-weapon lobby. He is accused of having donated €15B to sustain Brexit.
CHRISTOPHER WYLIE
Is the one who broke through those activities and after the accusations the CEO of Cambridge Analytica Alexander Nix has been fired and dismissed out of his functions.
FACEBOOK IN TROUBLE, WHICH MEASURES TO TAKE?
Now, Facebook is being accused of carelessness first, for having overlooked its users and contents and its users themselves may doubt its integrity thinking that their data may be used commercially. Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is trying to cool down the media fury and tribulations.
On April 2nd, he has given a long interview on VOX, the American Information Site, saying they will get out of the trouble although it may take some time. He promised Facebook will really protect private life but it will not be immediate. Facebook has apologized so many times on the media for this scandal. He also said they have no enough time to investigate bad using of Facebook on all 2billions accounts but they are thinking over it however.
On the other side, some sites such as The Verge try to harm on Facebook by inciting people to definitely delete their accounts for example. Recently, it is said that 8% of French users are willing to quit Facebook, French people are said to be really attached to their personal life and informations. Christopher Wylie has added that without the ‘help’ of Cambridge Analytica, the Brexit vote won’t have passed, so many really think Facebook is really responsible. That’s not good for Facebook who is now the only guilt in the scandal. French people also said that they don’t even care of their users, that they only think of their profits. A Canadian Society ‘Aggregate IQ’ is also said to be associate to Cambridge Analytica and has worked in favor of Brexit, the ‘Leaving EU’ campaign.
A survey has been set up asking people to answer to the following question: ‘After Facebook being accused of carelessness in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, do you wish to leave Facebook?’, 8% have said yes that is 2,64 million of users and 25% have answered they do not know, that’s 8,25millons of users. If that really happens, it will really be a harsh thing for Facebook, that’s why they are working untiringly on how to remedy to it.
Now the scandal has caused some 7million of losses to Facebook, so they say they are setting up new measures to establish more users personal protection: thus, they are auditing all the applications available on Facebook; suspicious ones will be immediately closed and users who are directly concerned by Cambridge Analytica will be informed. An application which has not been used within three months will also automatically be closed. That is mainly pedagogical measures that Facebook has established to help the users to protect themselves.
There are also on line some tips that may help to protect yourself your data, available on videos, tutorials or simple blog articles: how to manage or close or block applications which can reach your personal affairs; how to limit advertising using or impacts of your data; or delete your account.
Effectively, it is exactly each individual’s duty to protect his own interests, that’s the first thing to do, and technology helping, it is easier for everyone nowadays to reach out to innovations that may help use more appropriately the Web and the social medias. No one can be entirely safe without personal awareness and discernment, it is always easier to accuse and point fingers on someone but the best mean to protect yourself is be aware, all the time. So, we really hope , this article will be of a great help to all Facebook users: better understand how the scandal happened get some lesson sand take personal measures. It is not always easy to use safely social media, just pay attention on what you click!