Facebook to be fined $871,000 after letting Cambridge Analytica mine users’ data

Facebook is facing its first financial penalty for allowing the data-mining firm Cambridge Analytica to forage through the personal data of millions of unknowing Facebook users.

A U.K. government office announced its intention to fine Facebook 500,000 pounds (C$871,325), the maximum possible, for failing to safeguard that user information.

Coverage of Facebook and Cambridge Analytica on Globalnews.ca:

1:08 Cambridge Analytica did receive data from researcher in Facebook storm, ex-chief says

• Cambridge Analytica did receive data from researcher in Facebook storm, ex-chief says
• Cambridge Analytica declares bankruptcy, will shut down following Facebook scandal
• Would making users pay for Facebook fix its privacy problem? Cambridge Analytica scandal explained
• Why Facebook did not notify 87M users about Cambridge Analytica data breach
• Facebook shares spiral after U.S. agency makes public its Cambridge Analytica investigation

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The penalty is a pittance for Facebook.

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But it would represent the first tangible punishment for the company’s privacy scandal, which tarnished its reputation, temporarily pushed down its shares and forced CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify before Congress, but otherwise had few lasting repercussions.

READ MORE: Facebook to start telling users if their data was shared with Cambridge Analytica

Cambridge Analytica, a London firm financed by wealthy Republican Party donors, worked for the 2016 Trump campaign and for a while employed Steve Bannon, who managed President Donald Trump’s campaign and later became a White House adviser.