- With the latest Facebook scandal involving advertising for political parties based on the leaked private information of users, social media platforms have been working hard to prove themselves worthy of being trusted. This week, Twitter has gone above and beyond to become completely transparent with their users by making it easy to determine where ads are coming from and who they’re really marketed toward.
The problem arose when Facebook decided to stop leaking personal information of its users back in 2015, unfortunately, the social media giant allowed some businesses to carry on their contracts to term. This meant that some information was still getting shared without users’ knowledge. Cambridge Analytica, a company hired by now President Trump during his campaign, was one of the companies which reaped the benefits of this Facebook leak, collecting information from millions of people about their likes, dislikes, and even personal contacts.
It was later determined that the information collected by Cambridge Analytica was used for propaganda purposes, and that advertisements and other online efforts were created based on this information. Millions of social media users were technically “duped” into absorbing information through their Facebook pages regarding the election based on this leaked data.
This year a whistleblower named Christopher Wylie admitted the fraudulent activity, and expressed guilt over his part in the efforts of Cambridge Analytica to farm information from the social media platform. Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, has faced intense scrutiny over the issue, opening doors to much debate and legal action around the world.
jul 14 2018 +