Facebook draws probe by US privacy watchdog and Congress over data scandal
Data of 50 million users winds up in analytics company which helped elect Trump
Facebook is drawing scrutiny from the main US privacy watchdog and members of Congress over how the personal data of 50 million users was obtained by a data analytics firm that helped elect US President Donald Trump.
The US Federal Trade Commission is probing whether Facebook violated terms of a 2011 consent decree over its handing of user data that was transferred to Cambridge Analytica without their knowledge, according to a person familiar with the matter. The commission will be sending a letter to the company, according to a second person with knowledge of the matter.
Facebook officials have also tentatively agreed to brief members of the House Judiciary Committee, said a congressional official familiar with the talks.
A Facebook spokesman confirmed that the company would hold a town hall on Tuesday, where a deputy general counsel would answer questions about the Cambridge Analytica developments.
Logistics for the meeting are still being worked out, including whom from the company will be involved in the briefing, the official said. The Senate Judiciary Committee also is in the process of scheduling a briefing from Facebook, said George Hartmann, a spokesman for Chairman Chuck Grassley.