Facebook mired in controversy with Cambridge Analytica
User Privacy: It may take Facebook years to fix problems, says Zuckerberg
Facebook has promised to tighten-up and check issues relating to user-privacy. But it may take a few years in order for the tech firm to solve the problems associated with third-parties using data from its users in unauthorised ways, Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said on Tuesday.
The world’s largest social media company is under pressure to improve its handling of data after disclosing that information about 50 million Facebook users wrongly ended up in the hands of political consultancy Cambridge Analytica.
Cambridge Analytica has used data obtained from the site to influence elections in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa among other African countries.
“I think we will dig through this hole, but it will take a few years.
“I wish I could solve all these issues in three months or six months, but I just think the reality is that solving some of these questions is just going to take a longer period of time,’’ Zuckerberg told newsmen.
Cambridge Analytica became embroiled in an international scandal after it emerged that the company had received the data of around 50 million Facebook users without their permission and through improper channels.
The company harvested the information to develop a mechanism that would predict and influence the behaviour of voters to boost U.S. President Donald Trump in the 2016 election.
Facebook announced recently it would shut down the Partner Categories, which allows third party data providers to offer their targeting directly on Facebook.
It also plans to introduce new privacy tools in the coming weeks to allow users to more easily manage and access their personal data.
In March 29, Zuckerberg apologised for the situation with the Cambridge Analytica and admitted that he should not have trusted the firm.
He has said there were several mistakes that led to the situation, adding that most of the actions needed to prevent this from happening again were already taken years ago.