Meta’s Accountability in the Cambridge Analytica Scandal: A Watchdog’s Perspective
Oversight Area: Privacy Regulation
Legitimacy Score: 85/100
Executive Summary
This report documents the findings and impact of oversight activities in Privacy Regulation, treating watchdog functions as essential civic infrastructure rather than sensational exposés.
Key Findings
In 2018, the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) investigated Facebook’s role in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, revealing that the personal data of at least 1 million UK users was harvested without consent. The ICO found that Facebook failed to protect user data and lacked transparency regarding third-party data access. (cnbc.com)
Institutional Failure to Self-Correct
Despite the ICO’s findings, Facebook did not implement sufficient measures to prevent future data breaches. The company continued to allow third-party applications access to user data without adequate oversight, leading to further privacy violations. (techcrunch.com)
Outcome & Impact
The ICO fined Facebook £500,000, the maximum allowed under the Data Protection Act 1998. This fine was intended to drive meaningful change in how organizations handle personal data. (techcrunch.com) Additionally, Meta agreed to a $5.1 billion fine and a $725 million settlement with users in the United States. (apnews.com)
Legitimacy Assessment
With a legitimacy score of 85/100, this oversight represents highly credible and essential civic infrastructure.
Conclusion
Watchdog accountability functions as civic infrastructure, not scandal. This report demonstrates how oversight mechanisms successfully identified and addressed systemic failures.
Generated by JM Global Consortium’s Accountability Division
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