Facebook Cambridge Analytica Data Scandal

The Facebook Cambridge Analytica data scandal, which came to light in 2018, involved the unauthorized use of personal data from Facebook by Cambridge Analytica, a political consulting firm. The firm used this data, totaling around 87 million Facebook users, to influence the 2016 US presidential election and the Brexit referendum. The scandal led to widespread outrage, with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifying before the US Congress. The incident highlighted significant lapses in data protection and sparked debates about online privacy, data governance, and the role of social media in politics. Cambridge Analytica's CEO, Alexander Nix, was suspended from serving as a company director, and the company ceased operations in 2018. The scandal has had lasting implications for data regulation, with the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in the United States. As of 2022, Facebook, now known as Meta, continues to face scrutiny over its data handling practices, with ongoing investigations and lawsuits related to the Cambridge Analytica scandal.