Facebook sued by Australian data watchdog over Cambridge Analytica scandal
The Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) is suing Facebook over alleged privacy breaches related to the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
In a case filed with the Federal Court today, the watchdog alleged that the personal data of more than 300,000 Australian Facebook users had been exposed to be sold and used for purposes including political profiling.
The claims relate to the This is Your Digital Life app made by Cambridge Analytica, which gained access to personal data such as email addresses and dates of birth.
“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,” said Australian information and privacy commissioner Angelene Falk.
“Facebook’s default settings facilitated the disclosure of personal information, including sensitive information, at the expense of privacy.”
The lawsuit relates to alleged data exposures between March 2014 and May 2015. Most of the affected users did not install the app themselves, but rather had their personal information disclosed via their friends’ use of the app.
It is the latest backlash against the Cambridge Analytica scandal, which is thought to have exposed data from 87m Facebook users worldwide.
The social media firm was hit with a $5bn (£4bn) fine by the US Federal Trade Commission following a probe into its handling of consumer data, while the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) handed down a £500,000 penalty — the maximum possible fine under previous data protection laws.
Under Australian law, the Federal Court can impose a civil penalty of up to AUS$1.7m (£857,000) for each serious and/or repeated interference with privacy.
A Facebook spokesperson said: “We’ve actively engaged with the OAIC over the past two years as part of their investigation.
“We’ve made major changes to our platforms, in consultation with international regulators, to restrict the information available to app developers, implement new governance protocols and build industry-leading controls to help people protect and manage their data.”