Facebook today launched a new section of its Help Center focusing on user data breaches following the Cambridge Analytica scandal that’s been ongoing for the past few weeks. The updated Help Center tool allows you to check to see if any of your Facebook data was shared with Cambridge Analytica (via Matt Navarra).
The tool specifically details whether or not you or any of your friends ever logged into “This Is Your Digital Life,” a quiz app that Cambridge Analytica used to steal information and tailor political messages towards Facebook users. If you or someone you know was affected by the app, Facebook details what information was shared with Cambridge Analytica, including topics like public profile, page likes, birthday, current city, and more.
Besides the new tool, Facebook has been sharing numerous blog posts in recent weeks about the security and privacy of its users. Most recently, chief technology officer Mike Shroepfer outlined several changes coming to Facebook APIs that will limit the amount of data that apps can collect from users. The company also promised to more prominently notify users of what apps are using their data in links atop their News Feeds, which started appearing for some users yesterday.
Facebook’s Help Center tool launches the same day that company CEO Mark Zuckerberg will be testifying before Congress at 2:15 p.m. PT. According to prepared remarks released by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Zuckerberg is expected to state that Facebook “didn’t do enough” to prevent multiple issues from spreading on the social network, namely data privacy.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has commented on the ongoing Facebook data scandal, telling Recode’s Kara Swisher “I wouldn’t be in this situation,” when asked what he would do right now if he was Mark Zuckerberg. He elaborated: “We could make a ton of money if we monetized our customers. If our customers were our product. We’ve elected not to do that. …We’re not going to traffic in your personal life.”
On that topic, Zuckerberg responded by stating that Cook’s comments were “not at all aligned with the truth,” and that just because Facebook is free to use doesn’t mean that the company doesn’t care about its customers.
As of the most recent reports, 87 million people have been affected by the Cambridge Analytica scandal on Facebook, 70 million of which are located in the United States.
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