For April Fool's Day, Snapchat is taking a deep dig at rival Facebook with a jab at the embattled social network's apparent role in foreign election interference.Snapchat's newest filter -- which you can find by swiping right after snapping a photo -- shows a mock Facebook post that you might see after changing your profile picture on Facebook. Above your photo, the text "(Your name) updated their profile picture" appears in a faux-Cyrillic font. Below your photo, the filter indicates that "your mom, a bot and 2 others" have already reacted to the photo, some with a sad face, all in the style of an actual Facebook post.It's all a nod to the ongoing investigation into Russian meddling during the 2016 election. Russia is accused of operating massive bot farms that flooded Facebook and other social media websites with propaganda intended to rile up coveted swing voters to sway the election in President Donald Trump's favor.In some cases, the Russian trolls and bots allegedly hijacked the … [Read more...] about Snapchat takes dig at Facebook election interference scandal with Russian profile filter
Congress’ dilemma: tame Facebook or just accept its apology?
WASHINGTON (AP) — Facebook isn’t just a company. It’s a behemoth, with 2.1 billion monthly users, $40 billion in revenue and more than 25,000 employees worldwide. And that leaves Washington with a daunting task: How do you tame a corporate giant? Or do you even try? “It’s tricky and it’s going to be hard, but there are ways it can be dealt with,” says Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, a former tech executive who has led investigations into Russian interference on social media over the last year as the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee. “The idea that we’re going to keep the wild, wild West — I don’t think it’s sustainable.” The picture will begin to come into focus next week. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is scheduled to testify April 10 and 11 before Senate and House committees as his company grapples with the privacy scandal involving Cambridge Analytica, a political consulting firm linked to President … [Read more...] about Congress’ dilemma: tame Facebook or just accept its apology?
Congress’ challenge: How to tame industry giant Facebook
WASHINGTON (AP) — Facebook isn’t just a company. It’s a behemoth, with 2.1 billion monthly users, $40 billion in revenue and more than 25,000 employees worldwide. And that leaves Washington with a daunting task: How do you tame a corporate giant? Or do you even try? “It’s tricky and it’s going to be hard, but there are ways it can be dealt with,” says Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, a former tech executive who has led investigations into Russian interference on social media over the last year as the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee. “The idea that we’re going to keep the wild, wild West — I don’t think it’s sustainable.” The picture will begin to come into focus next week. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is scheduled to testify April 10 and 11 before Senate and House committees as his company grapples with the privacy scandal involving Cambridge Analytica, a political consulting firm linked to President … [Read more...] about Congress’ challenge: How to tame industry giant Facebook
Illinois’ most populous county files new suit over Cambridge Analytica’s use of Facebook data
Home Daily News Illinois' most populous county files new… Privacy Law By Debra Cassens Weiss Posted March 26, 2018, 2:17 pm CDT Shutterstock.com. The county that includes Chicago may be the first government entity to sue over Cambridge Analytica’s use of Facebook data for use in federal election campaigns. Cook County, Illinois, claims in a lawsuit filed on Friday that the use of information from more than 50 million Facebook users, including millions in the state, violated the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Ars Technica and the Chicago Tribune covered the suit, filed on behalf of Illinoisans in Cook County circuit court against Facebook, Cambridge Analytica and Cambridge Analytica’s parent company. Facebook’s platform “has essentially become a data aggregation machine disguised as a social network,” the lawsuit says. Cook County is Illinois’ most populous county and the second-largest county by population in … [Read more...] about Illinois’ most populous county files new suit over Cambridge Analytica’s use of Facebook data
First Lawsuit Against Facebook & Cambridge Analytica
Share Tweet Plus One Pin It Email Print By: Ammu Charles March 22, 2018 3:19 pm Change Font Size A class-action complaint has been filed by Lauren Price, a resident of Maryland, before the U.S. District Court in San Jose, California seeking unspecified damages for Facebook’s failure to protect data of its users and the exploitation of the data by Cambridge Analytica in the 2016 US election campaign. The complaint alleges violation of California unfair competition law. It is only recently that the news of Cambridge Analytics – Facebook data misuse came into light. This happened when Facebook admitted the role of Cambridge Analytica in using user data without consent to achieve commercial gains. Cambridge Analytica has been suspended since then from accessing its platform. CambridgeAnalytica is a data analytics company founded by Stephen K Bannon and Robert Mercer, a wealthy Republican donor. It has been found to have played a significant role in the leave … [Read more...] about First Lawsuit Against Facebook & Cambridge Analytica