Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg finally broke his silence on the Cambridge Analytica scandal, five days after the situation first came to light.
The 33-year-old turned to his own platform Wednesday to post an intricate timeline of exactly what happened with the data company, as well as the steps Facebook will take moving forward.
“We have a responsibility to protect your data, and if we can't, then we don't deserve to serve you,” he said in the statement.
Zuckerberg reiterated the fact that Facebook changed its policies in 2014 “to limit the data apps could access.” That of course includes the one Cambridge created. He went on to say this kind of abuse would not have happened today.
Going forward, Facebook will “conduct a full audit of any app with suspicious activity” and reduce the amount of data to which third party developers have access.
However, “he failed to empathize with the people that have been hurt by this unfortunate case,” Rasmus Houggard, author of “The Mind of a Leader,” told Cheddar.
“The case has ruined much trust in Facebook, and the legal and technical approach the post is taking does nothing to meet the people that have lost trust.
“In short, he falls in the trap many other leaders do when under pressure: only addressing the case rather than also including the human side of it.”
Zuckerberg’s extended period of silence in the face of the Cambridge Analytica scandal and his handling of questions about Russia’s use of the platform during the 2016 presidential election shone a negative light on his leadership capabilities.
Houggard thinks perhaps Zuckerberg’s young age is partly to blame for his aloofness.
“We’ve found that age is correlated with compassion, the ability to lead with other people in mind,” he said. “As people mature in leadership roles, they become more compassionate and more selfless.
“What we know from research is [that], when we are in a position of power for an extended period of time, with success like Zuckerberg’s, we’re basically...losing a little bit of touch with reality.”
Last week, news broke that data company Cambridge Analytica used Facebook to collect data on millions of Americans without their permission. It then sold that information to President Trump’s campaign team during the 2016 election.
Separately, an undercover journalist with Britain’s Channel 4 released video of Cambridge Analytica’s CEO Alexander Nix bragging about his ability to go after politicians with sex tapes and bribes.
On Tuesday, Nix was suspended from his position as CEO.
Nvidia on Wednesday became the first public company to reach a market capitalization of $5 trillion. The ravenous appetite for the Silicon Valley company’s chips is the main reason that the company’s stock price has increased so rapidly since early 2023.
Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at S&P Global, breaks down September’s CPI print and inflation trends, explaining what it means for markets.
A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
