In the midst of revelations of a major data breach, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg today admitted that his company made mistakes on user data secrecy and vowed to take steps to prevent the misuse or breach of personal data of users by developers or business partners.
Zuckerberg, 33, through a lengthy Facebook post, broke his silence over the alleged privacy scandal that hit the social media giant. “I started Facebook, and at the end of the day, I’m responsible for what happens on our platform. I’m serious about doing what it takes to protect our community,” Zuckerberg said. Reports alleged that personal data from as many as 50 million people might have been used improperly in Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign by Cambridge Analytica, a UK-based political research firm.
Zuckerberg said Facebook has a “responsibility” to protect its users’ data and if it fails, “we don’t deserve to serve you.” He acknowledged that there is more the company needs to do. “But we also made mistakes, there’s more to do, and we need to step up and do it,” he said. Over the past several days, Facebook has been facing an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission and calls for legislative testimonies in the US and Europe.
India’s IT and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has warned social media companies such as Facebook of stringent actions if there was any attempt to influence the electoral process of any country.