Lawmakers Want Immediate Hearings on Cambridge Analytica Misuse of Facebook Data
Lawmakers are seeking hearings, potentially with executives from Facebook, Google and Twitter, after reports a political data analytics firm connected to the 2016 Trump campaign allegedly misused private information of more than 50 million Americans. Facebook suspended the accounts of Strategic Communication Laboratories and its data firm Cambridge Analytica Friday, citing violations of guidelines for user data collection. The announcement followed reports from The New York Times and The Guardian about the organization’s alleged misrepresentation and harvesting of user data.
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Facebook Deputy General Counsel Paul Grewal said in a statement that Cambridge Analytica co-founder Christopher Wylie (who leaked information to The New York Times and The Guardian) and data scientist Aleksandr Kogan certified to the platform that the data in question had been destroyed. If it’s true the data wasn't destroyed, as reported, Facebook will take whatever steps necessary to ensure the data is deleted and the parties in question are held responsible, Grewal said: “Protecting people’s information is at the heart of everything we do, and we require the same from people who operate apps on Facebook.”
Cambridge Analytica's statement Saturday said it fully complies with Facebook’s terms of service and blamed Global Science Research, a group the company contracted for data gathering. Cambridge Analytica claims when it discovered that Global Science Research wasn't in compliance with U.K. Data Protection Act standards in obtaining informed consent, the firm deleted all data gathered by the contractor. “No data from GSR was used by Cambridge Analytica as part of the services it provided to the Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign,” the statement said, saying the firm is working with Facebook to verify it didn't knowingly violate terms of service.
Lawmakers sounded off through Monday. Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., said the reports are more evidence the online political advertising market is essentially “the Wild West.” Whether "it's allowing Russians to purchase political ads, or extensive micro-targeting based on ill-gotten user data, it's clear that, left unregulated, this market will continue to be prone to deception and lacking in transparency,” he said. Warner urged passage of the Honest Ads Act, which would require identification of ad purchases higher than $500 on platforms with at least 50 million monthly users (see 1710190054).
Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., backed an immediate hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee, noting the timing of the ongoing FTC consent decree, which requires Facebook to gain user permission before sharing data. Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and John Kennedy, R-La., urged Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, to hold a hearing, so lawmakers can question the CEOs of major tech platforms. The committee has questioned representatives from the companies in the past, but the lawmakers said the committee never had the chance to question the executives directly. “The lack of oversight on how data is stored and how political advertisements are sold raises concerns about the integrity of American elections as well as privacy rights,” they wrote. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., asked Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to detail the “extent of the misuse” by April 13. “With little oversight -- and no meaningful intervention from Facebook -- Cambridge Analytica was able to use Facebook-developed and marketed tools to weaponize detailed psychological profiles,” he said.
House Commerce Committee ranking member Frank Pallone, D-N.J., called for a hearing. “These disturbing reports bring up a lot of questions about how Facebook protects the privacy of its users,” Pallone tweeted. He also criticized Facebook for not taking action against the firm until after the reports surfaced. House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Adam Schiff, D-Calif., invited Wylie to testify. Schiff is seeking information in support of the minority’s investigation into Russian meddling during the election.
The Electronic Privacy Information Center claims it warned the FTC about this issue in 2009, as did other consumer privacy groups. The FTC issued an order against Facebook in 2011, but the agency failed to enforce its order, EPIC said. The group plans to file a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain reports Facebook was supposed to file with FTC. EPIC Consumer Privacy Fellow Sam Lester told us that through the FOIA request, the organization wants to know what the FTC did, if anything, to ensure Facebook complied with the 2011 order, and if there’s clear evidence the platform violated the order. The issue isn't just about user privacy; it has implications for American democracy, he said, saying the incident could have been avoided if FTC had done its job and Facebook had complied. The FTC didn’t comment.