Brazil Fines Facebook R$6.6 Million for Data Leak in Cambridge Analytica Affair

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Brazil has decided to fine Facebook R$6.6 million (US$1.6 million) for the data leak from at least 443,000 Brazilian users.

The decision was handed down by the Ministry of Justice and Public Safety, which, through the Department of Consumer Protection and Defense, imposed the fine for unduly sharing data from Brazilian users in the Cambridge Analytica case.

The case began to be investigated after it was reported that Brazilians also had their data shared without permission by the political marketing consultancy Cambridge Analytica.

Founded in the United States, the consultancy that worked for Donald Trump’s campaign was charged in March this year with having committed the largest data theft case in Facebook history. At the time, Mark Zuckerberg’s company admitted “rule violations” and banned the company from social media.

Months later, the United States fined Facebook US$5 billion, a record amount in the technology sector.

In Brazil, an inquiry was opened into whether there was a violation of consumers’ personal data and whether someone gained undue access to this information. The Department of Consumer Protection and Defense then determined that Facebook had engaged in abusive practices.

According to the decision, “It is clear that data from the approximately 443,000 users on the platform were unduly disposed of by the developers of the thisisyourdigitallife app”. The app is a psychological test in which the responses of thousands of people who took it would have been used for “at least questionable purposes,” according to the decision.

Also according to the decision, there was a lack of adequate information for Facebook users regarding the consequences of the privacy setting pattern on the shared data.

Following the decision, Facebook will still be subpoenaed, subject to appeal. The story approached the company through its press office but failed to get a reply.

Source: El Pais