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This newsletter is focused on digital investigations: tips and techniques, examples of great reporting on disinformation and digital deception, links to resources, and occasional analysis of the digital ecosystem. I hope you stay with me. (Who am I?)
Why this Facebook scandal is different
In 2018, Facebook faced a massive scandal for allowing the personal data of millions of users to be sold to Cambridge Analytica. After threatening to sue The New York Times and The Guardian over their reporting, Facebook realized it was in trouble. A contrite and apologetic Mark Zuckerberg appeared before Congress a month later.
“It was my mistake, and I’m sorry,“ Zuckerberg said in April 2018.
The company rushed to investigate other instances of data misuse, and shut off data access for some partners and products. A year later, Zuckerberg unveiled his "Privacy-Focused Vision for Social Networking.”
That’s what it looks like when Facebook acknowledges and takes action as a result of wrongdoing…