Uploaded April 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal involved the unauthorized collection and use of data from millions of Facebook users by the political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica during the 2016 United States presidential election.
In 2018, it was revealed that Cambridge Analytica had obtained data on tens of millions of Facebook users without their consent through a third-party app called "This Is Your Digital Life." This app, created by a researcher named Aleksandr Kogan, collected data on users and their friends, which was then used by Cambridge Analytica to create psychographic profiles for political advertising purposes.
Facebook was accused of failing to protect user data and allowing the unauthorized access and use of this data by Cambridge Analytica. The scandal led to widespread criticism of Facebook's data handling practices and sparked investigations by regulators in multiple countries.
In response to the scandal, several class-action lawsuits were filed against Facebook by users whose data was collected by Cambridge Analytica without their consent.
Overall, the scandal raised concerns about the use of personal data in political campaigns and highlighted the need for greater transparency and accountability in the collection and use of user data by social media platforms.
The Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal involved the unauthorized collection and use of data from millions of Facebook users by the political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica during the 2016 United States presidential election.
In 2018, it was revealed that Cambridge Analytica had obtained data on tens of millions of Facebook users without their consent through a third-party app called "This Is Your Digital Life." This app, created by a researcher named Aleksandr Kogan, collected data on users and their friends, which was then used by Cambridge Analytica to create psychographic profiles for political advertising purposes.
Facebook was accused of failing to protect user data and allowing the unauthorized access and use of this data by Cambridge Analytica. The scandal led to widespread criticism of Facebook's data handling practices and sparked investigations by regulators in multiple countries.
In response to the scandal, several class-action lawsuits were filed against Facebook by users whose data was collected by Cambridge Analytica without their consent.
Overall, the scandal raised concerns about the use of personal data in political campaigns and highlighted the need for greater transparency and accountability in the collection and use of user data by social media platforms.
