Facebook, now known as Meta, has offered to settle a long-running class action lawsuit filed against it in California over the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
The lawsuit, which has been around for four years, accuses Facebook of illegally sharing user data with Cambridge Analytica, which used the information to build psychographic profiles of voters.
The scandal caused the tech giant's stock to plummet, and Facebook admitted that the information of 87 million users had been exposed. The settlement offered by Facebook is currently being formulated by lawyers for both sides, and the class action has been suspended for 60 days.
The scandal involving Cambridge Analytica's misuse of Facebook user data has been a major controversy for the company for years. Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg was called to testify before Congress in 2018, but he provided evasive responses and avoided directly answering accusations.
In 2019, Facebook/Meta reached a $5 billion settlement with the FTC, but opponents criticized the settlement for allowing the social media giant to pay for blanket immunity for its senior management team. Zuckerberg has also repeatedly refused to face criticism of the scandal in front of international parliaments.
The Cambridge Analytica scandal highlights the privacy risks associated with using social media platforms. It raises important questions about the accountability of tech companies and the protection of user data.
The settlement offered by Facebook/Meta, in this case, is a step towards resolution, but it is important for users to be aware of the potential risks of sharing personal information online. As users, we must be vigilant about protecting our privacy and holding tech companies accountable for their actions.
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