BRUSSELS - As many as 2.7 million people in the European Union may have been affected by the Facebook personal data scandal, the bloc announced on Friday, saying it would demand further answers from the social media giant.

"Facebook confirmed to us that the data of overall up to 2.7 million people in the EU may have been improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica," spokesman Christian Wigand told reporters.

On Wednesday, Facebook said the personal data of as many as 87 million users around the world was improperly shared with British political consultancy Cambridge Analytica.

Facebook&39;s estimate was far higher than news reports suggesting 50 million users may have been affected.

In March, US newspapers revealed that Cambridge Analytica harvested the private information to develop techniques to support the election campaign of President Donald Trump&39;s in 2016.