Cook County Sues Facebook, Cambridge Analytica, Over Alleged Misuse of User Data
Cook County filed a lawsuit against both Facebook and Cambridge Analytica for allegedly violating fraud law in Illinois in the wake of reports that the consulting firm misused data from up to 50 million profiles. The lawsuit is now one of five against Facebook filed nationwide. Cook County’s suit alleges that Facebook failed to protect the privacy of users and misrepresented how their data would be used when it was collected. (Facebook) sought to keep developers building on its platform and provide companies with all the tools they need to influence and manipulate user behavior,” says the complaint. “That’s because Facebook is not a social media company; it is the largest data mining operation in existence.” Facebook says that while Cambridge Analytica didn’t steal the information, it improperly acquired it from a personality quiz. The lawsuit asks that both companies be fined $50,000 for each violation and that Cambridge Analytica be fined an extra $10,000 for every day a violation affected an Illinois resident over the age of 65. (Chicago Tribune) (The Verge)