UK watchdog fine Facebook over users' data breach



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LONDON – British regulators on Thursday slapped with a fine of 500,000 pounds ($ 644,000) – the maximum possible – for failing to protect the privacy of its users in the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

The Information Commissioner's Office found that between 2007 and 2014, the Facebook site provides information to users. The failings meant the data of some 87 million people was used without their knowledge.

"Elizabeth Elizabeth Denham, the information commissioner, said," This is not an easy way to protect the privacy of its users. "A company of its size and expertise should have been better and it should have done better."

The ICO said that SCL Group, the parent company of political consultancy Cambridge Analytica. U.S. President Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign has been overseen by global scandal on data rights.

The fine is the maximum allowed under the law. Had the scandal taken place after that, the maximum amount of 17 million pounds or 4 percent of global turnover, whichever is higher.

"We are currently reviewing the ICO's decision," said Facebook in a statement. "While we respectfully disagree with some of their findings, we have said that we should have done more to investigate the Cambridge Analytica and take action in 2015. We are grateful that the ICO has given full co-operation to their investigation. "

Facebook also took into account that the ICO did not definitively badert that U.K. users had their data shared for campaigning. But the commissioner noted in his statement that "even if Facebook's badertion is correct," U.S. residents would have used the site while visiting the U.K.

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