Govt examining Facebook, Cambridge Analytica responses

Among some very key benefits Pegimane offers over other popular social networking sites, it is also very clear on how it protects its users’ online data.

Politicians and privacy advocates immediately protested the practice, with many saying Facebook needed to develop a way for non-users to find out what the company knows about them.

If a website uses Facebook features, even if the visitor doesn’t have a Facebook account, it provides metrics including IP addresses, what operating system is in use, and cookies.

Zuckerberg says Facebook “failed” to protect people’s information following the use by Cambridge Analytica of data scraped from 87 million Facebook users to target political ads ahead of the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Baser said that Facebook uses collected data for mainly three things-providing services like Facebook plugins, Facebook Analytics, and ads; keeping user’s information secure; and improving services like keeping posts about things you care (cats, your favourite TV shows, political leanings, etc.) at the top of your news feed.

Critics said that Mr Zuckerberg has not said enough about the extent and use of the data.

“If you’ve never been tagged in a photo on Facebook or have untagged yourself in all photos of you on Facebook, then we do not have this summary information for you”. There’s a whole section just on ads and what you agree to see or not see.

The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology issued separate notices to Facebook and Cambridge Analytica late last month seeking details about impact of the data breach in India and whether the data was used to manipulate the Indian electoral process.

“I don’t want to vote to have to regulate Facebook, but by God I will”, Senator John Kennedy (R), from Louisiana, said in the hearing Wednesday. For example, users can opt out of ads or delete their profiles. While Facebook says it will not be applying the GDPR to the rest of the world just yet, CEO Mark Zuckerberg says the company does intend to expand privacy settings around the world.

But despite Facebook’s deepening foothold in the Union – there are reports the company has secured office space in one of the most expensive properties in Brussels – its 33-year-old CEO is yet to accept requests from the European Parliament to face MEPs in-person.

Baser explains in-depth how Facebook “tracks” users across the web and inside apps – including by the use of “hidden” Facebook Pixels embedded in websites in a post here. Behind the scenes, Facebook also helps some sites and apps track their performance and run ads from Facebook advertisers.