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Did Cambridge Analytica Harvest 50 Million Facebook Profiles? (theguardian.com)
Slashdot reader umafuckit shared this article from The Guardian:
The data analytics firm that worked with Donald Trump's election team and the winning Brexit campaign harvested millions of Facebook profiles of U.S. voters, in one of the tech giant's biggest ever data breaches, and used them to build a powerful software program to predict and influence choices at the ballot box... Christopher Wylie, who worked with a Cambridge University academic to obtain the data, told the Observer: "We exploited Facebook to harvest millions of people's profiles. And built models to exploit what we knew about them and target their inner demons. That was the basis the entire company was built on."
Documents seen by the Observer, and confirmed by a Facebook statement, show that by late 2015 the company had found out that information had been harvested on an unprecedented scale. However, at the time it failed to alert users and took only limited steps to recover and secure the private information of more than 50 million individuals... On Friday, four days after the Observer sought comment for this story, but more than two years after the data breach was first reported, Facebook announced that it was suspending Cambridge Analytica and Kogan from the platform, pending further information over misuse of data. Separately, Facebook's external lawyers warned the Observer on Friday it was making "false and defamatory" allegations, and reserved Facebook's legal position...
The evidence Wylie supplied to U.K. and U.S. authorities includes a letter from Facebook's own lawyers sent to him in August 2016, asking him to destroy any data he held that had been collected by GSR, the company set up by Kogan to harvest the profiles... Facebook did not pursue a response when the letter initially went unanswered for weeks because Wylie was travelling, nor did it follow up with forensic checks on his computers or storage, he said. "That to me was the most astonishing thing. They waited two years and did absolutely nothing to check that the data was deleted. All they asked me to do was tick a box on a form and post it back."
Wylie worked with Aleksandr Kogan, the creator of the "thisisyourdigitallife" app, "who has previously unreported links to a Russian university and took Russian grants for research," according to the article. Kogan "had a licence from Facebook to collect profile data, but it was for research purposes only. So when he hoovered up information for the commercial venture, he was violating the company's terms...
"At the time, more than 50 million profiles represented around a third of active North American Facebook users, and nearly a quarter of potential U.S. voters."
Documents seen by the Observer, and confirmed by a Facebook statement, show that by late 2015 the company had found out that information had been harvested on an unprecedented scale. However, at the time it failed to alert users and took only limited steps to recover and secure the private information of more than 50 million individuals... On Friday, four days after the Observer sought comment for this story, but more than two years after the data breach was first reported, Facebook announced that it was suspending Cambridge Analytica and Kogan from the platform, pending further information over misuse of data. Separately, Facebook's external lawyers warned the Observer on Friday it was making "false and defamatory" allegations, and reserved Facebook's legal position...
The evidence Wylie supplied to U.K. and U.S. authorities includes a letter from Facebook's own lawyers sent to him in August 2016, asking him to destroy any data he held that had been collected by GSR, the company set up by Kogan to harvest the profiles... Facebook did not pursue a response when the letter initially went unanswered for weeks because Wylie was travelling, nor did it follow up with forensic checks on his computers or storage, he said. "That to me was the most astonishing thing. They waited two years and did absolutely nothing to check that the data was deleted. All they asked me to do was tick a box on a form and post it back."
Wylie worked with Aleksandr Kogan, the creator of the "thisisyourdigitallife" app, "who has previously unreported links to a Russian university and took Russian grants for research," according to the article. Kogan "had a licence from Facebook to collect profile data, but it was for research purposes only. So when he hoovered up information for the commercial venture, he was violating the company's terms...
"At the time, more than 50 million profiles represented around a third of active North American Facebook users, and nearly a quarter of potential U.S. voters."
If your Facebook Profile is set to "Public" then all the "Public" can see it. This is a "breach"? Maybe of the Facebook TOS, but those are meaningless.
If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
Given I closed my Facebook account several years ago, I'm more worried about whether these bad actors managed to access Facebook's shadow profiles - since, unfortunately, most of my family is on Facebook.
For people who are actually on Facebook - including my family - I say "don't pretend to be outraged since you voluntarily decided to hand them all your personal information".
#DeleteChrome
So the only thing he did that made Facebook take action was violate their ToS. They're making it seem as if this is some generous act on their part, their tools did exactly what they were meant to do but they're upset he didn't grease their palms first.
Well this is it. Trump's campaign is finished.
Glad to see the media is inadvertently starting to contradict their theory that the Russians 'hacked' the election for trump in their never ending quest to not accept blame for their defeat. Keep doing what you're doing guys. Do the exact same thing you did last election. Thats right you did nothing wrong at all.
Whenever you collect that much information about everybody in one place you are going to become a target for intelligence agencies that don't give a dam about your terms of service or laws. Democtrats whine about Russia, but they totally underestimated the threat. They mocked Mitt Romney for naming Russia as the biggest threat in the 2012 Presidential Debates. President Obama quipped that the, "1980s are calling to ask for their foreign policy back". Well, who's laughing now? The world is full of nasty and violent people who hate us and will never change their views. Human nature doesn't change. We're just as violent and nasty today as we have always been and nothing will ever change that. The foreign policy of our nation ought to accommodate that reality instead of ignoring it. It's time to stop pretending that we don't have enemies. If anything good comes out of our collective humiliation at the hands of the Russians and our incompetent leaders it will be our rediscovery of these essential truths. We ought to be out getting payback instead of vaccilating over what needs to be done. The Russians and the Iranians are carving up the Middle East into spheres of influence and assassinating targets in the UK while Kim Jong Un does what he pleases on the Korean peninsula. Why aren't we taking the fight to the enemy?
There's little evidence that CA did anything better than guessing. These stories just burnish the reputation of a scam company.
Hell, where's the story on Theranos getting pulled out of Walgreen's because they're cutting too much into their profit margin.
Your ad here. Ask me how!
Comment removed based on user account deletion
considering I don't have a FB account and never will.
AC the information is pushed up onto a social media site by users as part of their account and use of social media.
The "internet" can see what is part of a site.
A lot of different search services transverse the internet.
Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
No, Republicans only try to believe that.
Regardless, data theft is a criminal enterprise, conspiracy to defraud is a criminal enterprise, violation of US election laws by involving foreign nationals is a criminal enterprise, government agencies conspiring to defraud the electorate is - essentially - treason, and Cambridge Analytics violated EU data protection laws on top of all that.
Fine, arrest everyone who is guilty of such a crime, throw the lot in a SuperMAX and never let them see the light of day again. Exonerate no-one. If that means incarcerating the entire DNC as well as the GOP and half the intelligence services, who the hell cares? Take the criminals off the streets, every last one of them.
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
In the EU, that doesn't matter. Data protection act.
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
Data Protection Act, U.S. election laws, and the stuff that was taken included anything private. This was not simple harvesting of public data, this was hacking of personal accounts via malware in an app.
Do get a sense of perspective.
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
I'm pretty sure MIT isn't in England. Could be wrong.
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
First, it wasn't. This was stolen by malware in apps through private accounts with non-public access rights. RTFA.
Second, it's in violation of the CMA and DPA of the UK and EU. The EU takes these things seriously.
Third, it violated election laws in the U.S., along with civil service laws. Trump might not care, but the special prosecutor will, as will politicians who are up for re-election.
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
(Shrugs shoulders)
I guess there is nothing anyone can do.
(scuffs feet)
https://www.youtube.com/c/BrendaEM
Except it's not data theft. Potentially breaking the rules /terms of service, but not theft. Facebook gave them the API to get the info, just like many other organizations (liberal/socialist ones too).
p.s. F EU data protection laws.
"take the criminals off the streets - every last one of them"
cool - each and every illegal immigrant, adult, child, illegal parents of legal children...yup, get them all off the streets too. Don't forget George Soros, The whole Clinton family, Bernie, and 99% of every politician still alive.
Oh, wow... Would hiring a British spy, who then engaged his contacts among Russians, qualify?
There is no crime described in TFA... At the most, there is a violation of Facebook's TOS...
In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
Conspiring with the Russians to overthrow the government of the USA (hacking the election) appears to meet the narrow legal definition of Treason, under American law.
The special prosecutor seems to be several steps ahead of what is in the news. I expect these people have already been talked to, and deals made to keep them out of jail. From what little I know of Trump, I don't believe he's (mentally) capable of being the "Dr Evil" level villain at the bottom of all this.
No, because - for some peculiar reason - election laws only apply to elections. I know, it's odd, but there you go. The law is what it is and they're obliged to obey it. If you do the crime, you bloody well aught to do the time. Or is law and order only a concern when it's the other side?
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
I don't give a shit who else is involved, no criminal act justifies or excuses another. And no amount of crap by those who do not understand that the world isn't serial ticker tape can change that. I want all those who committed crimes in the election in solitary confinement in a SuperMAX or equivalent and I don't give a shit about their nationality or rank.
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
EU data protection law doesn't apply to the UK. http://www.computerweekly.com/...
Social media thats all about ads on line is now discovering a private side?
Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
Me too, Time's Up, Brexit, kids being political leaders... It's a brave new world out there. I'd double check things like that if I were you.
Scraping Facebook for metadata is treason? No wonder Hillary and her loonies lost the election.
Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
It's not the information per se, it's the inferences. If people knew what could be *done* with the information, they'd be horrified. As it stands, the reason people give permission is because 99% of folks aren't aware of just how much can be inferred by a group of immoral clever bastards. Same way that people aren't aware of just how much damage can be done by a failure to follow GMP standards for drug manufacture. And here's the point -- they shouldn't have to be aware -- drug manufacturers are obliged to follow GMP and regulations exist to protect us all without us all having to know complex details of stuff that takes a working lifetime to learn. Same should be true here.
Russia runs right through this story, both explicitly (Kogan's funding) and implicitly (bankrolling other buyers).
EU data protection law doesn't apply to the UK. http://www.computerweekly.com/...
The EU law isn't in force yet, but:
Despite the UK government having triggered Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, and being in negotiations regarding leaving the EU, the UK will still be classed as a Member State when the GDPR compliance deadline is reached on 25 May 2018.
I'd also point out that if the UK wishes to continue trading with the EU, many companies will need to comply with GDPR, particularly banks, so whether it is still in UK law after March 2019 is not relevant for a number of businesses.
P.S. That quote is from Computer Weekly, in the article referenced. I get lots of articles sent to me about GDPR, and we are preparing for compliance.
I am reminded of a joke about a flea crawling up an elephantâ€(TM)s leg with rape on its mind....
Please, cite the law — the article and the verse — you allege has been violated. I'll wait.
The de facto law is that the party with the highest dudgeon always wins and it's rarely violated.
In all seriousness:
Facebook is taking sides and is not apolitical.
Golly. That's a shocker.
But still, it's good to see additional evidence. It takes more evidence to convince some people than others. If they get there later, at least they get there.
For some people on some issues, no amount of evidence is enough.
There's no time like the present. Well, the past used to be.
> Conspiring with the Russians to overthrow the government
> of the USA (hacking the election) appears to meet the
> narrow legal definition of Treason, under American law.
Wrong wrong wrong. Please RTFC (C == Constitution) https://www.law.cornell.edu/co... Article 3; section 3
> Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying war against
> them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort.
The US is not at war with Russia. Even at the height of the "Cold War", the Rosenbergs were executed for *ESPIONAGE*, not "treason", for handing over US nuclear secrets to the Soviets.
I'm not repeating myself
I'm an X window user; I'm an ex-Windows user
So, what's the problem? Finding out what issues are important to people and focusing on them in a campaign is kinda fundamental to the whole process, no? It was okay in the '90's when Bill used "triangulation" (the same thing without Facebook) to target messaging.
FB, don't claim to be outraged. You sell us short everyday. You allowed Russians to interfere with our Democracy. You only care about your bottom dollar. You have the ability to control who and what is buying your product. Get off the pretense about being outraged and step up to the plate and do something about it. Words come cheap.
This was not simple harvesting of public data, this was hacking of personal accounts via malware in an app.
Why comment when you're obviously clueless? It was a standard app using the Facebook API. If this was malware then so is every other app on Facebook.