The European Union has given Facebook two weeks to answer questions raised by the scandal over personal data harvested from the social network, according to extracts of a letter obtained by AFP yesterday. The letter EU's justice commissioner Vera Jourova sent Facebook's chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg also asks what steps the firm plans to take to prevent a similar scandal in the future.
"I would appreciate a reply in the next two weeks," the letter said.
"Have any data of EU citizens been affected by the recent scandal?" Jourova wrote, listing one of the five key questions.
"If this is the case, how do you intend to inform the authorities and users about it?" Jourova asked. Jourova asked whether stricter rules were needed for social media platforms as exist for traditional media and whether it would change its approach on transparency toward users and regulators. EU leaders will further discuss the data privacy issue at a summit in the Bulgarian capital Sofia in May. European Parliament President Antonio Tajani has also invited Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg to address the elected body about its concerns.
Meanwhile, a Cambridge Analytica whistleblower said yesterday that Canadian company AggregateIQ worked on software called Ripon which was used to identify Republican voters ahead of the 2016 U.S. presidential election, according to Reuters. Wylie has previously disclosed how users' data from Facebook was used by Cambridge Analytica to help elect U.S. President Donald Trump. Ripon, the town in which the Republican Party was founded in 1854, was the name given to a tool that let a campaign manage its voter database, target specific voters, conduct canvassing, manage fundraising and carry out surveys.
"There's now tangible proof in the public domain that AIQ actually built Ripon, which is the software that utilised the algorithms from the Facebook data," Wylie told the British Parliament's Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee. Cambridge Analytica said yesterday that it had not shared any of the Facebook profile data procured by a Cambridge aca
demic with AggregateIQ. It said it had not had any communication with AggregateIQ since December 2015.
As for Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg, he will not answer questions from British lawmakers over how millions of users' data got into the hands of political consultancy Cambridge Analytica. Zuckerberg will instead send his Chief Technology Officer Mike Schroepfer or Chief Product Officer Chris Cox to appear before parliament's Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee. In response, its chairman said yesterday that lawmakers still wanted to speak to Zuckerberg and would see whether they could set up a session in person or via video link.
Zuckerberg apologized last week for the mistakes Facebook had made and promised tougher steps to restrict developers' access to such information, which saw the company's share price fall and prompt new questions from politicians and regulators. In response to a request by British lawmakers to appear before them, the firm's Head of UK Public Policy told lawmakers that Schroepfer or Cox were better placed to answer questions.
"Facebook fully recognizes the level of public and Parliamentary interest in these issues and support your belief that these issues must be addressed at the most senior levels of the company by those in an authoritative position," wrote Rebecca Stimson.
"As such Mr Zuckerberg has personally asked one of his deputies to make themselves available to give evidence in person to the Committee."
