Facebook Sued in Australia Over Cambridge Analytica Scandal

Facebook Inc. is being sued in Australia by the nation’s privacy regulator, which claims the social media giant exposed the personal data of more than 300,000 users to the risk of being used for political profiling.

In proceedings lodged in the Federal Court, the Australian Information Commissioner alleges Facebook repeatedly breached privacy laws by disclosing user information to the “This is Your Digital Life” app, according to a statement Monday.

The personal data of 311,127 Australian Facebook users was “exposed to the risk of being disclosed” to consulting firm Cambridge Analytica and used for profiling purposes, according to the statement.

Facebook has weathered controversy over privacy almost since its inception and has come under particular scrutiny in recent years in both the U.S. and Europe. It reached a $5 billion deal in July with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to settle an investigation into its privacy practices stemming from the Cambridge Analytica scandal that came to light in early 2018.

Understanding the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica Story: QuickTake

“All entities operating in Australia must be transparent and accountable in the way they handle personal information,” Australian Information Commissioner Angelene Falk said in the statement. “We consider the design of the Facebook platform meant that users were unable to exercise reasonable choice and control about how their personal information was disclosed.”

To contact the reporter on this story:
Edward Johnson in Sydney at ejohnson28@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story:
Edward Johnson at ejohnson28@bloomberg.net

Peter Vercoe

© 2020 Bloomberg L.P. All rights reserved. Used with permission.