Mark Zuckerberg’s problems seem to be getting worse and worse. A U. S. senator from Oregon recently warned that the company could be broken apart if it can’t protect users’ data.<\/b>
\nThe scandal surrounding Cambridge Analytica is causing continuous problems for Facebook. in the lead-up to Mark Zuckerberg\u2019s testimony before Congress, Tech Crunch reports that Sen. Ron Wyden(D-OR) warned that Facebook could be broken up if Zuckerberg doesn\u2019t take steps to protect users\u2019 privacy.
\u201cThere are going to be people who are going to say Facebook ought to be broken up,\u201d Wyden said. \u201cThere have been a number of proposals and ideas for doing it, and I think unless [Zuckerberg] finds a way to honor the promise he made several years ago, he\u2019s gonna have a law on his hands.\u201d
In the weeks following news regarding Cambridge Analyitca, Zuckerberg and Facebook have spoken about the need to better protect users\u2019 privacy. Zuckerberg even took out ads apologizing for the scandal, saying that if his company cannot protect users\u2019 data, then it does not deserve to have it.
However, Wyden warned that Facebook would have to do more than simply promise to do better. He wants to see concrete and actionable steps that aren\u2019t simple public relations stunts or convoluted technicalities.
\u201cI think we\u2019ve got to establish a principle once and for all that you own your data, period,\u201d Wyden said. \u201cWhat does that mean in the real world? It\u2019s not enough for a company to bury some technical lingo in their [terms of service]\u2026 It\u2019s not enough to have some convoluted process for opting out.\u201d
Unfortunately for Facebook, the news surrounding Cambridge Analyitca broke after 2017 brought numerous data breaches at companies such as Equifax. Wyden believes that, taken together, these scandals may generate enough political will to pass a law that could break up Facebook and similar entities.
\u201cIf there is a grass-roots uprising about the issue of who owns user data, we can get it passed,\u201d Wyden said, noting that he would support such a bill.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that Cambridge Analyitca, which worked on Donald Trump\u2019s presidential campaign, used data obtained from an app called \u201cthisisyourdigitallife\u201d to obtain the data of millions of Facebook users. While about 270,000 people gave the app permission to access their data, the app took things a step farther by obtaining information from their friends lists, compromising the privacy of millions of users who did not agree the app\u2019s terms.
For now, much of the future of Facebook will hinge on the company\u2019s actions going forward, as well as Zuckerberg\u2019s testimony before Congress. The Facebook CEO is scheduled to appear before the Senate\u2019s judiciary and commerce committees on Tuesday, April 10. The next day, he is scheduled to speak before the House of Representatives\u2019 Committee on Energy and Commerce.<\/p>\n

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