50M Facebook profiles harvested for Cambridge Analytica in major data breach

You are nitpicking a small part of an article (incorrectly) and it distracts from the main point: A foreign power is working with American billionaires to subvert democracy and install a dictator. This is a serious issue and one of the biggest news stories of our time.

> This wasn't a data breach

Yes it was.

> it was a misuse of data by a third party.

So a bank robber who gets into the vault just misused the locks? Or the security guard misused his eyes? This was a data breach. Your language makes it sound less serious than it is, and you are wrong. This was a data breach.

Edit: Less than 30 seconds in, this post is already downvoted. I won't complain about downvotes of course, but it's insane that no conversation is actually allowed to happen on this site without burying one side. I spoke with a neutral tone, didn't do any name calling, I'm not looking for a fight. But downvotes within seconds! You can't silence me HN. I'll keep commenting my opinions and facts no matter how much you don't like what I'm saying. Nitpicking breach or misuse is silly and distracts from the actual substance of the article. It was a breach, by the way.

Re: 50M Facebook profiles harvested for Cambridge Analytica in major data breach

#5

Post by hashkb » Sat, Mar 17, 2018, 2:33 PM UTC

cryptoz wrote: post #4

734786710934 wrote: post #2

This wasn't a data breach, it was a misuse of data by a third party.

You are nitpicking a small part of an article (incorrectly) and it distracts from the main point: A foreign power is working with American billionaires to subvert democracy and install a dictator . This is a serious issue and one of the biggest news stories of our time. > This wasn't a data breach Yes it was. > it was a misuse of data by a third party. So a bank robber who gets into the vault just misused the locks?…

You're downvoted because you're technically not correct.

The case is more like the bank manager allowing the robber into the vault, with full knowledge that the robber wants to and could easily make off with all the valuables, then asking the robber to please not do that before heading back to work, leaving the thief unattended in the vault.

Edit: it's a breach of contract, maybe; but not a "data breach" which I think everyone understands to be more like the case where the vault is forcibly broken into.

Re: 50M Facebook profiles harvested for Cambridge Analytica in major data breach

#6

Post by goldenkey » Sat, Mar 17, 2018, 2:37 PM UTC

734786710934 wrote: post #2

This wasn't a data breach, it was a misuse of data by a third party.

Right. They basically just made an app on FB then had users accept the permissions. The horribly beautiful thing about FB permissions is that almost every single app will request EVERYTHING, and if you deny even a single permission that the app doesn't even seem to need, then the app will break or won't let you use it. So every user is indoctrinated into just clicking accept regardless of the supposed "granular" permissions. They are granular as in granulated sand, falls right through your fingers.

Re: 50M Facebook profiles harvested for Cambridge Analytica in major data breach

#7

Post by ceejayoz » Sat, Mar 17, 2018, 2:39 PM UTC

I wonder how many of the "see what you'll look like when you're 80" and "find out how you'll die" quiz apps are doing this behind the scenes.

Re: 50M Facebook profiles harvested for Cambridge Analytica in major data breach

#8

Post by hashkb » Sat, Mar 17, 2018, 2:40 PM UTC

goldenkey wrote: post #6

734786710934 wrote: post #2

This wasn't a data breach, it was a misuse of data by a third party.

Right. They basically just made an app on FB then had users accept the permissions. The horribly beautiful thing about FB permissions is that almost every single app will request EVERYTHING, and if you deny even a single permission that the app doesn't even seem to need, then the app will break or won't let you use it. So every user is indoctrinated into just clicking accept regardless of the supposed "granular" perm…

It's not a secret that FB's business is profiting off your personal data. You could choose to stop using it.

Re: 50M Facebook profiles harvested for Cambridge Analytica in major data breach

#9

Post by thisisit » Sat, Mar 17, 2018, 2:41 PM UTC

734786710934 wrote: post #2

This wasn't a data breach, it was a misuse of data by a third party.

I think a better source for this is a related story from Guardian on how all of this worked

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/mar/17/facebook-...

It was extremely attractive. It could also be deemed illicit, primarily because Kogan did not have permission to collect or use data for commercial purposes. His permission from Facebook to harvest profiles in large quantities was specifically restricted to academic use. And although the company at the time allowed apps to collect friend data, it was only for use in the context of Facebook itself, to encourage interaction. Selling data on, or putting it to other purposes, – including Cambridge Analytica’s political marketing – was strictly barred.

It also appears likely the project was breaking British data protection laws, which ban sale or use of personal data without consent. That includes cases where consent is given for one purpose but data is used for another.

Re: 50M Facebook profiles harvested for Cambridge Analytica in major data breach

#10

Post by thisisit » Sat, Mar 17, 2018, 2:43 PM UTC

ceejayoz wrote: post #7

I wonder how many of the "see what you'll look like when you're 80" and "find out how you'll die" quiz apps are doing this behind the scenes.

If I am reading the paper which started all of this correctly, you don't even need the quiz apps if you have the correct permissions:

http://www.pnas.org/content/110/15/5802