The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office has fined Facebook over the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The social media giant will pay a total of £500,000 ($630,240) and made no admission of liability, BBC News reported.
As part of the agreement, Facebook has made no admission of liability. The US firm said it « wished it had done more to investigate Cambridge Analytica » earlier. James Dipple-Johnstone, deputy commissioner of the ICO said: « The ICO’s main concern was that UK citizen data was exposed to a serious risk of harm. Protection of personal information and personal privacy is of fundamental importance, not only for the rights of individuals, but also as we now know, for the preservation of a strong democracy. » Harry Kinmonth, a Facebook lawyer, noted that the social network had made changes to restrict the information app developers could access following the scandal.
Check It Out: Facebook Fined by UK Information Commissioner Over Cambridge Analytica
Charlotte:
I just read this notice this morning on BBC.
The amount of the payout is a pittance compared to the damage FB have done in the UK alone, given the allegations around FB’s impact on the Brexit vote and the follow-on dysfunction.
That said, it will be interesting to see if this is a one-off or isolated event, or the beginning of a larger reckoning for FB and similar social media platforms, including some measure of regulation.