Mozilla pulls ads from Facebook in wake of Cambridge Analytica scandal

[midian182]

Facebook isn’t just experiencing a consumer backlash over the Cambridge Analytica scandal, it's also starting to feel the financial effects, too. Not only does the social network face the possibility of a massive FTC fine, but advertisers are also starting to voice their displeasure at the situation.

Mozilla has been particularly vocal about Facebook’s role in allowing 50 million users to have their private data harvested by Cambridge Analytica without their knowledge and consent. The Firefox maker started a petition asking the platform to change its app permissions and ensure user privacy is ensured by default.

“This wasn't a data breach, no one hacked into Facebook or stole passwords. It happened because Facebook allowed apps to access not just sensitive information of people who used those programs – but their friends as well,” writes Mozilla.

But it seems launching the petition wasn’t enough for the company. Mozilla has now announced it is withdrawing all advertising from Facebook.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who responded to the crisis for the first time yesterday without offering an apology, insists Facebook tightened the permissions it gives to third parties in 2014, though Cambridge Analytica’s data was used in the US election and the Brexit vote, both in 2016.

But Zuckerberg’s words aren’t enough for Mozilla, which stated: “This news caused us to take a closer look at Facebook’s current default privacy settings given that we support the platform with our advertising dollars. While we believe there is still more to learn, we found that its current default settings leave access open to a lot of data – particularly with respect to settings for third party apps.”

Mozilla did add that it would consider returning to Facebook when the company takes stronger action in how it shares customer data.

Facebook’s shares have fallen 9 percent since the Cambridge Analytica story broke, wiping $50 billion off the value of the company.

On Monday, WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton announced his support for the #deletefacebook campaign.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/73833-mozilla-pulls-ads-facebook-wake-cambridge-analytica-scandal.html

 

[Uncle Al]

All advertisers should be concerned. Facebook is already trying to pass the buck, but the majority of people realize there is a lot more going on behind the scene's and advertisers don't want to be associated with that kind of mess. Sadly, the best result would be for the US to involve similar requirements like Germany has AND hold Facebook accountable for every infraction ......

 

[holdum323]

Hi! Zuckerburger only lost 9 billion so far. I expect that amount will go up. Market is down big time today. Probably because of Facebook stock.

 

[regiq]

It's way too easy to extract meaningful data about your friends from facebook, check out this nice experiment as an example: https://medium.com/@sqrendk/how-you...ack-your-friends-sleeping-habits-505ace7fffb6

 

[hqxt1964]

User data has become the gold mine of these lawless Internet giants.

 

[pawel04]

Hi! Zuckerburger only lost 9 billion so far. I expect that amount will go up. Market is down big time today. Probably because of Facebook stock.

Er or the possibility that Trump has just instigated a huge trade war against the worlds biggest economies.

 

[Bubbajim]

I think anything to break up the duopoly of Facebook and Google's strangle-hold on advertising is a great thing. More companies should jump on this bandwagon and pummel Facebook - if they're lucky another platform will capture the public's imagination and bring down the cost of advertising on Facebook (which they'll of course still do, there are 2 billion people on it!).

Though of course this would all be somewhat disingenuous from advertisers who ultimately use and profit from mined data.

 

[Impudicus]

I thought it was already well know that facebook willing shares your data with advertisers and third parties? Your personal data security has never been a top priority to Facebook until it suddenly cost them money. They're more concerned about censoring your news feeds, doing their best to satisfy their sponsors. Like any major media outlet, business comes first.