Facebook Fined Maximum Legal Amount For Cambridge Analytica Scandal (deadline.com)

Facebook has been fined $645,000 by the UK's Information Commissioner's Office for its role in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, which affected over 80 million users. "The fine was served under the Data Protection Act 1998," reports Deadline. "However, this was replaced earlier this year by an updated version of this law, which alongside the EU's General Data Protection Regulation, meaning that Facebook could have been served a maximum fine of 17 million British pounds or 4% of global turnover." Deadline reports: The ICO's investigation found that as a result of Facebook allowing personal data to be given to app developers, Aleksandr Kogan and his company GSR was able to harvest the data with some of this information shared with organizations such as Cambridge Analytica parent company SCL. It noted that event after the misuse of the data was discovered in December 2015, Facebook "did not do enough" to ensure those who continued to hold it had taken adequate and timely remedial action.

Comments

Re:And they think that the fine is consequential?

[Tough Love]

The fine itself is inconsequential. What is not inconsequential is the mechanism for fining, and as the article pointed out, the next one could well be based on global revenue. When based on a percentage of global revenue as is often the result with EU cases, it can go way higher than the 17 million pounds mentioned. There is a history of fines in EUR multi billions. Not a great idea to be flip about this one.

Another thing that is far from inconsequential is the public rebuke.