96134 SA users exposed by Facebook breach

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Facebook says more South African users of the network may be affected by the data leak which has made headlines and sent lawmakers throughout the world on a frenzy. Weekend Argus reported last week that 59777 South African users may have had their information exposed to British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica without their consent. The number has now risen to 96134. The scandal broke when international media reported that a personality application called ‘This Is Your Digital Life’ developed by a Cambridge University researcher with interest in cognitive and behavioural neuroscience, surfaced. Aleksandr Kogan allegedly passed the information submitted by Facebook users who downloaded the app, to Cambridge Analytica which in turn allegedly used it to influence the behaviour of American voters in the build-up to presidential elections in that country, among other things. In a letter addressed to the chairperson of the Information Regulator in South Africa, Pansy Tlakula, this week, Facebook said investigations were ongoing.

They were responding to Tlakula’s questions about the extent to which South Africans were affected by the alleged leak.

The letter was signed by the head of data protection at Facebook Ireland, Yvonne Cunnane, the authority responsible for providing the Facebook service in countries outside the US and Canada, including in South Africa.

According to the letter, “the app did not obtain sensitive account information such as passwords or financial information”.

“The third party app developer in this case only had access to data that users who installed the app consented to give to the app and, in the case of such users’ friends, data that those friends published on the Facebook platform and that was made available to the app in accordance with their privacy settings.

The social network further said: “We have informed the Information Regulator with the accurate current numbers and continue to contact all those affected.”

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Weekend Argus