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IMF donor Bentham is preparing to sue social media giant Facebook in Australia for its data sharing with Cambridge political badyst firm Analytica
The world's largest social network said in April that up to 87 million people ended up in the hands of Cambridge Analytica, who was employed by Donald Trump's US presidential campaign in 2016.
In Australia, more than 311,000 user data could be used without permission, said Facebook in April.
The IMF said it had complained to the Australian Information Commissioner, alleging violations of data sharing privacy laws.
A clbad action seeking compensation from users could follow according to the regulator's response.
Meanwhile, a Facebook spokesperson did not comment directly on the IMF statement, but said that cooperating with the ongoing investigation by the Australian Commissioner for the Protection of Privacy , "using the former name of the Information Commissioner."
The Cambridge Analytica consulting firm, based in London, declared bankruptcy in May and was not available to comment. data and did not use it in the Trump campaign.
Facebook has been facing widespread criticism from users and critics of regulators and lawmakers around the world since information was shared He was also sued
Nathan Landis, an investment manager at IMF Bentham, said the company already had a senior litigant, a Sydney man who did not want to be identified. [1 9659010] Read More Gemalto with Tech Data in A / NZ
"There's just not a lot of precedent, certainly not for the kind of scale we're talking about here," he said, referring to the potential number of litigants.
The Information Commissioner closes most investigations in one year. The IMF has indicated that it could run out for some time before deciding whether to continue or not. Landis added that he could wait until regulatory investigations in the European Union and Britain are over.
"The alleged violations surround the circumstances in which a third party, Cambridge Analytica, obtained unauthorized access to user profiles and information," added a statement from the IMF Bentham enterprise
.
In addition, the company also invited users to join the clbad action via a dedicated website. , aimed at those who have held a Facebook account in Australia from 2010 to March 2015.
"Australians are among the most prolific social media users in the world," added a company statement. "Independent reports suggest that up to 60 percent of Australia's population are Facebook users." Australia's privacy legislation requires companies holding personal information to take advantage of privacy. reasonable steps to ensure that personal information is kept secure and that customers are properly informed about the collection and processing of their personal information. . "
(Reportage of Tom Westbrook and Byron Kaye in Sydney, additional report of Ambar Warrick in Bengaluru, edited by Himani Sarkar and Neil Fullick)
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