Facebook Faces £500,000 Fine Inward U.K. Over Cambridge Analytica Leak

Facebook has been fined £500,000 ($664,000) inward the U.K. after the country's information protection watchdog concluded that its data-sharing scandal broke the law, making it every bit the social network's start fine over the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

Yes, £500,000—that's the maximum fine allowed past times the UK's Data Protection Act 1998, as well as equals to what Facebook earns every 8 minutes.

Facebook has been nether scrutiny since before this twelvemonth when it was revealed that personal information of 87 1000000 users was improperly gathered as well as misused past times political consultancy theatre Cambridge Analytica, who reportedly helped Donald Trump win the the States presidency inward 2016.

According to the social media giant, a Cambridge University lecturer named Aleksandr Kogan collected the users' information legitimately through a quiz app but as well as then violated its damage past times sharing the information amongst Cambridge Analytica, which was as well as then hired past times the Trump presidential campaign.

The UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), who launched an investigation the Cambridge Analytica scandal inward March, said that Facebook failed to forestall users' data from falling into the hands of Cambridge Analytica.

It likewise establish that the social network giant failed to endure transparent nigh how personal information of its users was beingness harvested past times others, violating the country's Data Protection Act, the ICO said.

"A pregnant finding of the ICO investigation is the conclusion that Facebook has non been sufficiently transparent to enable users to sympathize how as well as why they mightiness endure targeted past times a political political party or campaign," ICO said inward a detailed report released Wednesday.

However, Facebook nonetheless has a conduct chances to answer to the ICO's Notice of Intent before a finally conclusion on the £500,000 fine is made.

"Their representations are due afterward this month, as well as nosotros make got taken no finally stance on the merits of the illustration at this time. We volition reckon carefully whatever representations Facebook may wishing to brand before finalising our views," according to an ICO update on the investigation published today past times Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham.

Due to the timing of the scandal, the ICO fine has been imposed nether an quondam United Kingdom of Great Britain as well as Northern Ireland law, which has at in 1 lawsuit been replaced past times the novel EU's General Data Protection Regulation.

Under GDPR, a fellowship could facial expression upward a maximum fine of twenty 1000000 euros or 4% of its annual global revenue, whichever is higher, for such a privacy breach.

Facebook said the social media would answer to the ICO written report "soon."

"We make got been working closely amongst the ICO inward their investigation of Cambridge Analytica, merely every bit nosotros make got amongst regime inward the the States as well as other countries [...] We're reviewing the written report as well as volition answer to the ICO soon," Facebook's main privacy officer, Erin Egan, said inward a statement.

The ICO is likewise considering bringing a criminal activeness against Cambridge Analytica's defunct raise fellowship SCL Elections as well as penalizing Cambridge Analytica ex-CEO Alexander Nix, as well as Aleksandr Kogan every bit well.

Besides the United Kingdom of Great Britain as well as Northern Ireland information protection watchdog, Facebook is likewise facing a probe past times the U.S. of A. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which could likewise number inward a substantial fine.