Stolen Info: Facebook Bans Trump-Affiliated Data Firm

The Washington Post reports:

Facebook is suspending the Trump-affiliated data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica, after learning that it failed to delete data that it had taken inappropriately from users of the social network, Facebook said late Friday.

Facebook said it was suspending the accounts of Strategic Communication Laboratories, the parent company of Cambridge Analytica, as well as the accounts of University of Cambridge psychologist Aleksandr Kogan and Christopher Wylie of Eunoia Technologies.

The Facebook members gave their consent for Kogan to access information such as the city they set on their profile, the content they had liked and some limited information about friend groups and contacts. Kogan then broke Facebook’s policies and passed the information to Cambridge Analytica and to Wylie. Facebook learned about Kogan’s activities in 2015.

The company removed Kogan’s app at the time and demanded certifications from Cambridge Analytica, Wylie and Kogan that the information he had shared had been destroyed. All three certified to Facebook that they had done so, but Facebook said it received reports several days ago that the data was not deleted.

We have suspended Cambridge Analytica from our platform for a clear violation our policies. They cannot buy ads or administer its clients’ pages. https://t.co/YIJ8MF4XI6

— Boz (@boztank) March 17, 2018

So Cambridge Analytica fraudulently obtained Facebook user data and then used it to run election ads on Donald Trump’s behalf https://t.co/8ZhEeMPAZK pic.twitter.com/Q0qIzIEMKK

— Casey Newton (@CaseyNewton) March 17, 2018

Sign my petition demanding Facebook notify users whose data was stolen by Cambridge Analytica: https://t.co/qJ7pJGrgA1

— Justin Hendrix (@justinhendrix) March 17, 2018

Mueller forced Facebook to reveal details of Cambridge Analytica’s methods of influencing US election as part of his Russia probe. UK Govt must now demand same on EU Referendum. https://t.co/ll62PcqamH

— Ben Bradshaw (@BenPBradshaw) March 17, 2018

Oh hey, look! It’s Breitbart owners Robert and Rebekah Mercer pulling shady business with Facebook through Cambridge Analytica.

Color us surprised. ? https://t.co/vqHf18gfJT

— Sleeping Giants (@slpng_giants) March 17, 2018

Cambridge Analytica is a shadowy British firm that worked for Ted Cruz, Donald Trump, and a pro-Brexit organization. Facebook just suspended it for using stolen user data. Outrageous.

— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) March 17, 2018