Election 2016

Facebook: Data From 87 Million Users Shared With Cambridge Analytica

Written by SK Ashby

For several weeks it has been reported that Cambridge Analytica, the data firm behind Trump's campaign, accessed the personal information of at least 50 million Facebook users worldwide without their consent, but Facebook has just disclosed a much larger number.

Facebook now says at least 87 million users just inside the United States (not worldwide) had their information shared with Cambridge.

Facebook says it will tell people, in a notice at the top of their news feeds starting April 9, if their information may have been improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica. The revelation hints at the drilling Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg will likely have to face when he testifies on the matter before Congress next week: How many other Cambridge Analytica-scale leaks of data are out there?

Good question. I don't think anyone is going to like the answer.

I also don't think 87 million will be the final number we hear. Facebook is still uncovering accounts controlled by Russia's professional troll operation.

If you're a Facebook user and you receive one of their notices next week, let us know.