Facebook’s data privacy scandal: Mark Zuckerberg says sorry in full-page newspaper ads

Mark Zuckerberg, took out full-page advertisements in several British and American newspapers on Sunday to apologise to millions of users.

New York, March 26: Under attack from various corners after the Cambridge Analytica data scandal rocked the whole world, Facebook founder and chief executive officer (CEO), Mark Zuckerberg, took out full-page advertisements in several British and American newspapers on Sunday to apologise to millions of users.

"I'm sorry we didn't do more at the time," the advertisement, signed by Zuckerberg, read. However, there is no mention of Cambridge Analytica in the "apology" advertisement published in top American and British dailies.

Cambridge Analytica is the British firm at the heart of the controversy. The British firm allegedly used the private data of more than five crore Facebook users to influence voters during United States President Donald Trump's election campaign in 2016.

"This was a breach of trust, and I am sorry," said the back-page ads that were featured in newspapers including the Sunday Telegraph, Sunday Times, Mail on Sunday, Observer, Sunday Mirror and Sunday Express in the UK, and in the New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal in the US, BBC reported.

"We've already stopped apps like this from getting so much information," wrote Zuckerberg. "Now we're limiting the data apps get when you sign in using Facebook."

The social networking giant also said it was investigating every app that had access to data "before we fixed this". "We expect there are others. And when we find them, we will ban them and tell everyone affected," added the advertisement.

A few days ago, Zuckerberg admitted the mistake on the part of his company for failing to save the data of its users across the globe. However, at that time he did not apologise. The apology also comes at a time when people across the world have expressed serious concern over "breach of trust" by Facebook. Recent polls have stated that Facebook's popularity has hit a record low post the Cambridge Analytica data scandal.

The data scandal has a worldwide implication as reportedly Indian political parties including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress used the service of Cambridge Analytica during past elections. Both the top Indian political parties have denied having any links with the now disgraced British firm but accused each other of hiring services of Cambridge Analytica.

OneIndia News