Everything has a price, even your private life… More than four years after the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Meta is still suffering the consequences. After reaching an agreement with the American trade regulator, and paying a heavy fine of 5 billion dollars, all is not yet forgotten. Today, Meta is spending $725 million to bury this case once and for all.
In 2018, revelations shook up Facebook’s parent company. Indeed, several thousand users of the social network have had their personal data shared with Cambridge Analytica. This data analysis firm has played, in particular, an important role in American political campaigns. And more specifically in the election of Donald Trump in 2016. The problem is that Facebook never asked for the consent of the users concerned before releasing this information to the company.
It’s a cold shower for Facebook users but also for Mark Zuckerberg. After the outbreak of this scandal, the boss of Meta had to testify before the American Congress. The case ended with a record fine. The tech giant had thus paid $5 billion to the FTC.
But almost five years later, Cambridge Analytica continues to haunt Meta. Indeed, thousands of Facebook users, disgusted to see their personal data revealed in this way, filed a collective complaint in 2018.
One last bill to pay
To get rid of the dead weight of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Meta has just agreed to checkout and take out the big bucks. Thereby, Mark Zuckerberg’s firm will pay 725 million dollars to compensate the thousands of people who intend to use this class action. Again, this is a historic sum.
$725 million is a record amount that users’ lawyers seem proud of: “This major settlement will bring a considerable reduction to those affected in this complex and unprecedented privacy protection case”.
On Meta’s side, it was the only thing to do. A spokesperson for the tech giant claimed that “it is in the best interest of our community and our shareholders”. Mark Zuckerberg’s firm seems to have learned from its mistakes and wants to let anyone who wants to hear it know. “Over the past three years, we have revamped our approach to privacy and implemented a comprehensive data privacy program”. From now on, privacy is at the heart of Meta’s concerns.
But Meta is not at the end of its troubles. So Sheryl Sandberg left her post this summer and the group is still suffering the consequences of Facebook files, life does not look rosy for the firm of Mark Zuckerberg.