Privacy commission to alert Belgians affected by Facebook leaks

Privacy commission to alert Belgians affected by Facebook leaks

The commission for the protection of private life, CPVP, which is collaborating with a European investigation into the Facebook data leaks, will alert users in Belgium when the names and contact data of those affected are updated, Secretary of State Philippe De Backer said on Thursday. The victims will also be able to contact Facebook or the Cambridge Analytica data firm, which exploited the leaked data, to have theirs deleted.

Cambridge Analytica collected the data of some 87 million Facebook users, including almost 61,000 Belgians, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on Wednesday. Facebook  itself will alert the affected users from  9 April onward, the company’s technical director Mike Schroepfer said on Wednesday.

Eight Belgians reportedly downloaded the application that allowed Cambridge Analytica to recover users’ data. These eight downloads led to the transfer of data belonging to 60,957 Belgians.

Cambridge Analytica played a role in influencing electors during the 2016 U.S. presidential elections.

Zuckerberg apologized for this and promised improvements. He will be heard by the US Congress on 11 of April.

t
The Brussels Times


Copyright © 2024 The Brussels Times. All Rights Reserved.