Facebook Private Data Exposure, State by State

The story

• Facebook appears to have shared information with U.S. states regarding the extent to which their citizens’ personal data were shared with an external group, Cambridge Analytica, which used the information to manipulate people’s political perceptions.
• A comprehensive list does not appear to be available yet, but individual states are reporting their citizens’ exposure. Here are the percentages so far:

22 percent of Pennsylvanians

24 percent of North Carolinians

50 percent of District of Columbia residents

20 percent of Delawareans

20 percent of Virginians

Why it matters

• Cambridge Analytica was able to procure the data because of a loophole in Facebook’s interface that allowed third-party developers to collect data not only from users of their apps, but also from their friends.
• Cambridge Analytica used what it learned about people and their preferences to influence their views on the 2016 U.S. presidential candidates. In many cases, the group promoted fake news that people may not have known was inaccurate. It may never be possible to tell if this changed the course of the election, but it certainly had an effect.
• While the data sharing was perfectly legal, and within Facebook’s terms of service, many users did not understand how their information might be used.
• This is just one of the latest in a series of controversies associated with social media platforms.
• A recent column in The New York Times DealBook asked, “Is It Time for More Adult Supervision at Facebook?”

What do you think?

Do social media platforms need more regulation? Are individuals responsible for the content they post and consume on social media platforms? Hit Take Action, then share your thoughts below.

--Sara E. Murphy