Facebook is under intense scrutiny again after revelations that the data company Cambridge Analytica used its platform to collect and share data on tens of millions of Americans without their permission. For David Carroll, an associate professor at Parsons who has been monitoring this data company for months, this was a long time coming. “I’ve been following this for more than a year,” Carroll told Cheddar Monday. In 2017, Carroll used a British data protection law to ask Cambridge Analytica for the data it gathered on him. Cambridge, which has a branch in England, complied but did not explain how and where it got this data. Then on Friday, Carroll filed a lawsuit against the company to get it to hand over all the sources from which it harvested data on Carroll. Coincidentally, on the same day, Facebook suspended the data firm from its platform. Cambridge Analytica was created by billionaire Robert Mercer and has connections to Steve Bannon, head of Breitbart News. It presented Facebook users with a personality test, through which it was able to access all of their data, including that of their friends and connections. That information was used to create profiles on millions of Americans, which the company then allegedly sold to President Trump’s campaign team in 2016. Facebook says that’s a violation of its terms of service and claims it ordered Cambridge to delete the data in 2015, but the company did not listen. Still, investors were not willing to let the social giant pass the blame. Shares fell nearly 7 percent Monday, wiping more than $40 billion in market cap from the stock. It was the worst single day percentage drop for the tech giant in almost four years. The latest incident again raises questions about how much responsibility Facebook has for how others use its platform. And Carroll says the only way to ensure such a breach doesn’t happen again is by adopting Europe’s tough stance against tech companies when it comes to data protections. “The U.S. has not taken privacy enforcement seriously,” he said. “The EU has been doing all the work...they consider privacy [as an] idea of dignity.” For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/meet-the-professor-suing-cambridge-analytica)

Share:
More In Business
Al Sharpton to lead pro-DEI march through Wall Street
The Rev. Al Sharpton is set to lead a protest march on Wall Street to urge corporate America to resist the Trump administration’s campaign to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The New York civil rights leader will join clergy, labor and community leaders Thursday in a demonstration through Manhattan’s Financial District that’s timed with the anniversary of the Civil Rights-era March on Washington in 1963. Sharpton called DEI the “civil rights fight of our generation." He and other Black leaders have called for boycotting American retailers that scaled backed policies and programs aimed at bolstering diversity and reducing discrimination in their ranks.
A US tariff exemption for small orders ends Friday. It’s a big deal.
Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the U.S. this week as part of President Donald Trump's agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods. A widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less is set to end starting on Friday. Trump already ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, but having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will be subject to the origin country’s tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.
Southwest Airlines’ new policy will affect plus-size travelers. Here’s how
Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size travelers to pay for an extra seat in advance if they can't fit within the armrests of one seat. This change is part of several updates the airline is making. The new rule starts on Jan. 27, the same day Southwest begins assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can pay for an extra seat in advance and later get a refund, or request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the new policy, refunds are still possible but not guaranteed. Southwest said in a statement it is updating policies to prepare for assigned seating next year.
Load More