[Politics] Cambridge Analytica - Channel 4

[Deleted member 22389]

Big destruction of big data will be going on as we speak.

The EU's GDPR should help curb this type of stuff in future, the European Commission are pretty much the only International body waking up to the threat is big tech firms

Won't stop companies from collecting data about users and it won't stop databases being hacked either. Going to cost small business time and money to implement.

 

[Seasider78]

The only thing that surprises me about this is how many social media users react with shock when it is revealed their data is being accessed and used.

Put it out there someone will get their hands on it.

 

[beorhthelm]

The only thing that surprises me about this is how many social media users react with shock when it is revealed their data is being accessed and used.

Put it out there someone will get their hands on it.

that not quite what has happened here. when you pass data to a company you should expect that they will use it, sell you advertising, do analytics for clients etc. you should not expect they will hand the data over to a third party. thats what happened here, Facebook handed over millions of users information.

 

[nicko31]

that not quite what has happened here. when you pass data to a company you should expect that they will use it, sell you advertising, do analytics for clients etc. you should not expect they will hand the data over to a third party. thats what happened here, Facebook handed over millions of users information.

You are dead right, little surprise FB shares are getting hammered. Its a pretty big breach of trust what has gone on here

 

[TheJasperCo]

Nearly 7% taken off the Facebook share price yesterday as a result of this story.

Could be a buying opportunity if you were looking to get in.

#EveryCloud

Unless this is just the tip of the iceberg.

 

[Springal]

I don’t fully understand how they got the data? Did FB hand it over? I read somewhere they got the information from people who completed surveys, played games etc ?

 

[beorhthelm]

I don’t fully understand how they got the data? Did FB hand it over?

yes. and were apparently in CA offices yesturday/overnight frantically removing data.

 

[Bozza]

I don’t fully understand how they got the data? Did FB hand it over?

yes. .

At least one app (it may have been more) was able to harvest data about those using the app as well as their FB connections. So FB didn't "hand the data over" but weaknesses in FB's technical infrastructure were exploited to pull across data, which was then subsequently manipulated.

 

[beorhthelm]

At least one app (it may have been more) was able to harvest data about those using the app as well as their FB connections.

quite possibly, however that would be a hack (possibly even authorised), and not have Facebook visiting offices to remove data...
Edit. apologies, i miss heard, i thought Facebook had provided 50m users details. still odd that Facebook were at CA offices.

 

[BBassic]

Unless this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Or just the tip of the Zuckerberg?

Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

[CHAPPERS]

This is where all this gets fun - http://uk.businessinsider.com/cambr...adicted-itself-on-its-work-for-leaveeu-2018-3

 

[pb21]

This is where all this gets fun - http://uk.businessinsider.com/cambr...adicted-itself-on-its-work-for-leaveeu-2018-3

This has been known about for ages. It seems that there is a very murky world surrounding CA, the people who own it and bankroll it.

It is a conspiracy theory, and I don’t normally buy into them, but I do wonder who benefits the most form the likes of Trump and Brexit?

 

[Springal]

At least one app (it may have been more) was able to harvest data about those using the app as well as their FB connections. So FB didn't "hand the data over" but weaknesses in FB's technical infrastructure were exploited to pull across data, which was then subsequently manipulated.

That is what I thought. Interesting to see about the weaknesses though as I have always been skeptical about this kind of thing on Facebook and what those who run these games etc get out of it...

About 5 years ago I was involved in a project with one of the big global tech companies who invested in a start up that basically created games for iPhone, Android etc... what the game was actually doing was helping them develop AI programs and research. Was very murky way of doing it. I also learnt that AI is the new animal rights and the directors of this company would regularly get death threats and letter bombs from those trying to stop a new Skynet !

 

[CHAPPERS]

This has been known about for ages. It seems that there is a very murky world surrounding CA, the people who own it and bankroll it.

It is a conspiracy theory, and I don’t normally buy into them, but I do wonder who benefits the most form the likes of Trump and Brexit?

Indeed but it, for some reason, had slipped under the radar. What with the splintering of the Tory party regarding Brexit and revelations surrounding CA's affect on voters things could escalate quite quickly.

 

[Perfidious Albion]

I don't know why this is considered a new revelation. Last year I saw a BBC documentary "Secrets of Silicon Valley " which exposed the whole thing.... Cambridge Analytica, The Trump Campaign, Facebook & the manipulation of " likes" etc.

 

[JC Footy Genius]

Not sure if you're serious or not. Does this story and related ones not bother you at all? Genuine question.

Privacy issues and misuse of data yes the tin foil reference was to do with the conspiracy meme relating to Brexit in the post preceding mine.

 

[Machiavelli]

I don’t fully understand how they got the data? Did FB hand it over? I read somewhere they got the information from people who completed surveys, played games etc ?

There's no end that's been written, and a flurry of information being released at present. The below is the clearest and fullest explanation that I've read so far. In answer to your question, it isn't quite as [MENTION=599]beorhthelm[/MENTION] indicates. Facebook passed the details on to an academic at the U o Cambridge, for academic purposes. The initial academic was approached by Cambridge Analytica, who refused to pass it on, but another academic at U o Cambridge agreed to copy the (unencrypted) data, and pass it on to Cambridge Analytica. In other words, there was a more complex chain.

https://www.theguardian.com/news/20...er-christopher-wylie-faceook-nix-bannon-trump

 

[Sorrel]

I don't understand the problem. Facebook and third-parties use your personal data to target adverts and services all the time: that's the deal you sign up to. In this case there was a problem with additional "friends" data, but that's been sorted out since 2015, so what exactly is the problem?

 

[Machiavelli]

I don't know why this is considered a new revelation. Last year I saw a BBC documentary "Secrets of Silicon Valley " which exposed the whole thing.... Cambridge Analytica, The Trump Campaign, Facebook & the manipulation of " likes" etc.

It isn't a new revelation. But it involves far more concrete, detailed and substantial information about the issue than has been released previously.
Carole Cadwalladr is the journalist that has been working on this for over a year now, and has been releasing less substantiated articles in the interim period. She was recently awarded the Investigative Journalist of the Year for her work on this.

 

[Machiavelli]

I don't understand the problem. Facebook and third-parties use your personal data to target adverts and services all the time: that's the deal you sign up to. In this case there was a problem with additional "friends" data, but that's been sorted out since 2015, so what exactly is the problem?

Read the following article:

https://www.theguardian.com/news/20...er-christopher-wylie-faceook-nix-bannon-trump