Chinese telecom giant <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-has-no-evidence-of-backdoor-spying-in-5g-technology-huawei-chairman-199966">Huawei </a>has issued an unusual invitation to US media outlets to visit its facilities and meet staff as the company pushes back against global pressure arising from US accusations that it spies for Beijing.&nbsp;

Huawei purchased full-page adverts in major US newspapers on Thursday -- including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Washington Post -- for its "Open letter to the US media".

Bearing the headline "Don't believe everything you hear", it was attributed to Huawei board director Catherine Chen.

"I am writing to you in the hopes that we can come to understand each other better," it said.

"In recent years, the US government has developed some misunderstandings about us. We would like to draw your attention to the facts."

US President Donald Trump's administration has in recent months ramped up efforts to block Huawei, the leader in 5G technology, by urging allies to avoid the Chinese powerhouse, claiming that national security interests are at stake.

Huawei has responded in recent weeks by coming out in public to state its case with a directness unusual for a major Chinese company.

Its 74-year-old founder Ren Zhengfei, who previously rarely spoke to foreign media, has granted repeated interviews since the start of the year to deny that Huawei is a mole for China's Communist government.

Other Huawei officials have hit back by highlighting US government eavesdropping that was exposed by former US National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.

Huawei's chairman Guo Ping forcefully pushed back at the US accusations this week in a keynote address at the mobile industry’s biggest annual global event in Barcelona.

"The US security accusation against our 5G has no evidence. Nothing," he said.

The issue has escalated with the arrest in Canada in December of Ren's daughter, Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, who is accused of violating US sanctions against Iran and faces an extradition hearing in Canada this month.

Two Huawei affiliates also have been charged in the United States with trade theft for stealing robotics technology from T-Mobile and offering financial rewards to staff who stole secrets from rivals.

The open letter avoided those issues, focusing instead on how the huge company's systems have contributed to global connectivity.

It invited media outlets to visit its facilities.

"On behalf of Huawei, I would like to invite members of the US media to visit our campuses and meet our employees," it said, providing an email address for arranging visits.

"Don't believe everything you hear. Come and see us. We look forward to meeting you."

Chinese telecom giant Huawei has issued an unusual invitation to US media outlets to visit its facilities and meet staff as the company pushes back against global pressure arising from US accusations that it spies for Beijing.

Chinese telecom giant Huawei has issued an unusual invitation to US media outlets to visit its facilities and meet staff as the company pushes back against global pressure arising from US accusations that it spies for Beijing. Huawei purchased full-page adverts in major US newspapers on Thursday -- including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Washington Post -- for its "Open letter to the US media". Bearing the headline "Don't believe everything you hear", it was attributed to Huawei board director Catherine Chen. "I am writing to you in the hopes that we can come to understand each other better," it said. "In recent years, the US government has developed some misunderstandings about us. We would like to draw your attention to the facts." US President Donald Trump's administration has in recent months ramped up efforts to block Huawei, the leader in 5G technology, by urging allies to avoid the Chinese powerhouse, claiming that national security interests are at stake. Huawei has responded in recent weeks by coming out in public to state its case with a directness unusual for a major Chinese company. Its 74-year-old founder Ren Zhengfei, who previously rarely spoke to foreign media, has granted repeated interviews since the start of the year to deny that Huawei is a mole for China's Communist government. Other Huawei officials have hit back by highlighting US government eavesdropping that was exposed by former US National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden. Huawei's chairman Guo Ping forcefully pushed back at the US accusations this week in a keynote address at the mobile industry’s biggest annual global event in Barcelona. "The US security accusation against our 5G has no evidence. Nothing," he said. The issue has escalated with the arrest in Canada in December of Ren's daughter, Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, who is accused of violating US sanctions against Iran and faces an extradition hearing in Canada this month. Two Huawei affiliates also have been charged in the United States with trade theft for stealing robotics technology from T-Mobile and offering financial rewards to staff who stole secrets from rivals. The open letter avoided those issues, focusing instead on how the huge company's systems have contributed to global connectivity. It invited media outlets to visit its facilities. "On behalf of Huawei, I would like to invite members of the US media to visit our campuses and meet our employees," it said, providing an email address for arranging visits. "Don't believe everything you hear. Come and see us. We look forward to meeting you."

Huawei invites US media to see for itself on spy claims

Private data stolen from hundreds of German politicians, including Chancellor Angela Merkel, have been released online, the government said Friday.

The information, which comprised home addresses, mobile phone numbers, letters, invoices and copies of identity documents, was published via Twitter in December but inexplicably only came to light this week.

It was not immediately clear whether the officials were targeted by hackers or were the victims of an internal leak.

"Personal data and documents belonging to hundreds of politicians and public figures were published on the internet," government spokeswoman Martina Fietz told reporters, confirming that Merkel was one of them.&nbsp;

"The government is taking this incident very seriously."

Among those affected were members of the Bundestag lower house of parliament, and the European Parliament, as well as those from regional and local assemblies, she said.

Deputies from all parties represented in the Bundestag were affected, as well as President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

But Fietz said a preliminary investigation indicated that "no sensitive information or data" from Merkel's office had been leaked.

Berlin's political establishment reacted with alarm.

"Whoever is behind this wants to damage faith in our democracy and its institutions," Justice Minister Katarina Barley said in a statement.

Beyond politicians, the leak also exposed the private data of celebrities and journalists.

The daily Bild and public broadcaster RBB first reported the leak.

Bild said it was not clear when the data theft began but said it continued until the end of October.

"At first glance, it does not seem that politically sensitive material was included," RBB said.

"However the damage is likely to be massive given the volume of personal data published."

Fietz said the amount of Merkel's data that was exposed was "not excessive" but warned that some of the documents and information published might be faked.

Given the vast range of data hoovered up, RBB said it seemed unlikely that it was taken from a single source.

Parliamentary group leaders were notified of the attack late Thursday and the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) and the domestic intelligence service said they were investigating.

"According to our current information, government networks have not been targeted," BSI tweeted. &nbsp; &nbsp;

The Twitter account @_0rbit published the links every day last month, along the lines of an advent calendar with each link to new information hidden behind a "door".

The account, which calls itself G0d, was opened in mid-2017 and purportedly has more than 18,000 followers.&nbsp;

It described its activities as "security researching", "artist" and "satire and irony" and said it was based in Hamburg.

A link to Merkel's data showed two email addresses used by the chancellor, a fax number and letters apparently written by her and to her.&nbsp;

By midday Friday, Twitter had suspended the account.

Last year, the domestic intelligence service, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, said there had been repeated cyber attacks against MPs, the military and several embassies that were allegedly carried out by Russian internet espionage group "Snake".

Also known as "Turla" or "Uruburos", the group - which targets state departments and embassies worldwide - is believed to have links to Russian intelligence.

Last March, computer networks belonging to the German government came under sustained attack and data from foreign ministry staff were stolen.

At the time, Moscow denied that Russian hackers were involved.

Private data stolen from hundreds of German politicians, including Chancellor Angela Merkel, have been released online, the government said Friday. The information, which comprised home addresses, mobile phone numbers, letters, invoices and copies of identity documents, was published via Twitter in December but inexplicably only came to light this week.

Private data stolen from hundreds of German politicians, including Chancellor Angela Merkel, have been released online, the government said Friday. The information, which comprised home addresses, mobile phone numbers, letters, invoices and copies of identity documents, was published via Twitter in December but inexplicably only came to light this week. It was not immediately clear whether the officials were targeted by hackers or were the victims of an internal leak. "Personal data and documents belonging to hundreds of politicians and public figures were published on the internet," government spokeswoman Martina Fietz told reporters, confirming that Merkel was one of them. "The government is taking this incident very seriously." Among those affected were members of the Bundestag lower house of parliament, and the European Parliament, as well as those from regional and local assemblies, she said. Deputies from all parties represented in the Bundestag were affected, as well as President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. But Fietz said a preliminary investigation indicated that "no sensitive information or data" from Merkel's office had been leaked. Berlin's political establishment reacted with alarm. "Whoever is behind this wants to damage faith in our democracy and its institutions," Justice Minister Katarina Barley said in a statement. Beyond politicians, the leak also exposed the private data of celebrities and journalists. The daily Bild and public broadcaster RBB first reported the leak. Bild said it was not clear when the data theft began but said it continued until the end of October. "At first glance, it does not seem that politically sensitive material was included," RBB said. "However the damage is likely to be massive given the volume of personal data published." Fietz said the amount of Merkel's data that was exposed was "not excessive" but warned that some of the documents and information published might be faked. Given the vast range of data hoovered up, RBB said it seemed unlikely that it was taken from a single source. Parliamentary group leaders were notified of the attack late Thursday and the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) and the domestic intelligence service said they were investigating. "According to our current information, government networks have not been targeted," BSI tweeted. The Twitter account @_0rbit published the links every day last month, along the lines of an advent calendar with each link to new information hidden behind a "door". The account, which calls itself G0d, was opened in mid-2017 and purportedly has more than 18,000 followers. It described its activities as "security researching", "artist" and "satire and irony" and said it was based in Hamburg. A link to Merkel's data showed two email addresses used by the chancellor, a fax number and letters apparently written by her and to her. By midday Friday, Twitter had suspended the account. Last year, the domestic intelligence service, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, said there had been repeated cyber attacks against MPs, the military and several embassies that were allegedly carried out by Russian internet espionage group "Snake". Also known as "Turla" or "Uruburos", the group - which targets state departments and embassies worldwide - is believed to have links to Russian intelligence. Last March, computer networks belonging to the German government came under sustained attack and data from foreign ministry staff were stolen. At the time, Moscow denied that Russian hackers were involved.

Data of politicians leaked, including of Chancellor Merkel: German government

Dozens of civil rights groups on Tuesday called on Facebook to purge Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg from its board for blunders including "weaponizing anti-Semitism."

Advocacy and rights group took direct aim at Zuckerberg and Sandberg for Facebook enlisting Definers Public Affairs to conduct research on company critics.

"You retained the services of Definers Public Affairs to investigate, undermine and attack our allies, mimicking the tactics of the worst, disreputable political operatives and hate groups," read the letter.

"It's an absolute disgrace that Facebook sought to deflect criticism and discredit advocates by exploiting anti-Semitic campaigns against philanthropist George Soros."

The letter called on Zuckerberg and Sandberg to step down from the Facebook board as long as they serve as top executives and to expand the board with members reflecting the social network's diverse global community.

The 32 groups signed to the letter included Arab American Institute; Bend the Arc Jewish Action; Freedom From Facebook, Media Matters for America; MomsRising; MoveOn NAACP; National LGBTQ Task Force, Southern Poverty Law Center, and The Sikh Coalition.

#LogOutFacebook 
The letter was sent the same day that the NAACP kicked off a "#LogoutFacebook" boycott of the social network to protest treatment of non-whites at the social network and in the workplace.

The NAACP called on the Congress to further investigate Facebook in the wake of a Senate Intelligence Committee report revealing that the Russian influence campaign “made an extraordinary effort to target African-Americans.”

"Facebook's engagement with partisan firms, its targeting of political opponents, the spread of misinformation and the utilization of Facebook for propaganda promoting disingenuous portrayals of the African American community is reprehensible," NAACP president Derrick Johnson said in a release.

Facebook's number two executive Sheryl Sandberg, long seen as the "adult" at the youthfully-managed firm, has found herself the center of controversy over her role in pushing back at a growing chorus of criticism of the social media giant.

A prominent feminist and author with strong political connections, Sandberg has drawn fire in particular over an embarrassing effort to probe Soros, the billionaire investor, after he assailed the online network as a "menace to society."

Chief executive Zuckerberg has also been targeted by critics who consider him accountable for the actions of the company.

Reports commissioned by the US Senate and unveiled Monday said that propaganda campaigns conducted by Russia across a gamut of social networks before the US presidential election in 2016 included tactics aimed at discouraging black people from voting.

Facebook released an internal civil rights audit on Tuesday, along with a message from Sandberg vowing that they are a priority at the social network.

"As a direct response to feedback from civil rights advocates, we are focusing on voter suppression as a distinct civil rights challenge and will continue this work to be better prepared for future elections," Sandberg said.

Dozens of civil rights groups on Tuesday called on Facebook to purge Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg from its board for blunders including "weaponizing anti-Semitism.

Dozens of civil rights groups on Tuesday called on Facebook to purge Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg from its board for blunders including "weaponizing anti-Semitism." Advocacy and rights group took direct aim at Zuckerberg and Sandberg for Facebook enlisting Definers Public Affairs to conduct research on company critics. "You retained the services of Definers Public Affairs to investigate, undermine and attack our allies, mimicking the tactics of the worst, disreputable political operatives and hate groups," read the letter. "It's an absolute disgrace that Facebook sought to deflect criticism and discredit advocates by exploiting anti-Semitic campaigns against philanthropist George Soros." The letter called on Zuckerberg and Sandberg to step down from the Facebook board as long as they serve as top executives and to expand the board with members reflecting the social network's diverse global community. The 32 groups signed to the letter included Arab American Institute; Bend the Arc Jewish Action; Freedom From Facebook, Media Matters for America; MomsRising; MoveOn NAACP; National LGBTQ Task Force, Southern Poverty Law Center, and The Sikh Coalition. #LogOutFacebook The letter was sent the same day that the NAACP kicked off a "#LogoutFacebook" boycott of the social network to protest treatment of non-whites at the social network and in the workplace. The NAACP called on the Congress to further investigate Facebook in the wake of a Senate Intelligence Committee report revealing that the Russian influence campaign “made an extraordinary effort to target African-Americans.” "Facebook's engagement with partisan firms, its targeting of political opponents, the spread of misinformation and the utilization of Facebook for propaganda promoting disingenuous portrayals of the African American community is reprehensible," NAACP president Derrick Johnson said in a release. Facebook's number two executive Sheryl Sandberg, long seen as the "adult" at the youthfully-managed firm, has found herself the center of controversy over her role in pushing back at a growing chorus of criticism of the social media giant. A prominent feminist and author with strong political connections, Sandberg has drawn fire in particular over an embarrassing effort to probe Soros, the billionaire investor, after he assailed the online network as a "menace to society." Chief executive Zuckerberg has also been targeted by critics who consider him accountable for the actions of the company. Reports commissioned by the US Senate and unveiled Monday said that propaganda campaigns conducted by Russia across a gamut of social networks before the US presidential election in 2016 included tactics aimed at discouraging black people from voting. Facebook released an internal civil rights audit on Tuesday, along with a message from Sandberg vowing that they are a priority at the social network. "As a direct response to feedback from civil rights advocates, we are focusing on voter suppression as a distinct civil rights challenge and will continue this work to be better prepared for future elections," Sandberg said.

Civil rights groups call on Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg to step down

The e-commerce giant, Amazon on Wednesday said that the number of its customers' names and email address has been accidentally exposed due to a glitch on their site.

The issue has now been resolved, according to the mail sent to affected customers, but information regarding the exact number of people affected or what exactly the issue was is not been disclosed by the company.

"The issue has been fixed. This is not a result of anything you have done, and there is no need for you to change your password or take any other action," email sent to customers reads.

According to a report by AFP, Amazon has also said that there was no breach of any Amazon systems or its website, and passwords have been kept safe.

Amid the rising online privacy debates, Amazon's vague and not-so-specific email has sparked a criticism from users -- &nbsp;including cyber experts as they accused the company of withholding information.

Amazon customers in the US and Europe have reported receiving messages from the company.

The disclosure came on the cusp of the year-end holiday shopping season, with retailers online and in real-world shops offering "Black Friday" bargains pegged to the day after the Thanksgiving holiday in the US.

Amazon is the "undisputed e-commerce leader" in the US, with a 48 per cent share of online sales here this year expected to equate to some $252 billion, according to analysts at eMarketer.

The market tracker forecast that total e-commerce sales in the US would jump 16.6 per cent to $123.73 billion this holiday season as compared with the same period last year.

The e-commerce giant, Amazon on Wednesday said that the number of its customers' names and email address has been accidentally exposed due to a glitch on their site.

The e-commerce giant, Amazon on Wednesday said that the number of its customers' names and email address has been accidentally exposed due to a glitch on their site. The issue has now been resolved, according to the mail sent to affected customers, but information regarding the exact number of people affected or what exactly the issue was is not been disclosed by the company. "The issue has been fixed. This is not a result of anything you have done, and there is no need for you to change your password or take any other action," email sent to customers reads. According to a report by AFP, Amazon has also said that there was no breach of any Amazon systems or its website, and passwords have been kept safe. Amid the rising online privacy debates, Amazon's vague and not-so-specific email has sparked a criticism from users -- including cyber experts as they accused the company of withholding information. Amazon customers in the US and Europe have reported receiving messages from the company. The disclosure came on the cusp of the year-end holiday shopping season, with retailers online and in real-world shops offering "Black Friday" bargains pegged to the day after the Thanksgiving holiday in the US. Amazon is the "undisputed e-commerce leader" in the US, with a 48 per cent share of online sales here this year expected to equate to some $252 billion, according to analysts at eMarketer. The market tracker forecast that total e-commerce sales in the US would jump 16.6 per cent to $123.73 billion this holiday season as compared with the same period last year.

Amazon says some customer email addresses exposed

In a major security breach, data of most of the banks operating in Pakistan has been hacked, a media report said Tuesday quoting a senior cyber crime official.

The disclosure comes days after around 10 banks blocked all international transactions on their cards, following concerns raised about a breach of credit and debit card data, Geo News reported.

In a shocking revelation, Director of cyber crime wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Capt Mohammad Shoaib said: "According to a recent report we have received, data from almost all Pakistani banks has been reportedly hacked".

He said the FIA has written to all banks, and a meeting of the banks' heads and security managements was being called.

"Banks are the custodians of the money people have stored in them," Shoaib said, adding they are also responsible if their security features are weak that they result in pilferage.

Last week, the official said, a gang was arrested, whose members used to disguise themselves as army officials and withdraw money from banks after collecting people's data.

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has been informed by several commercial banks that they have blocked international payments on debit and credit cards as a precautionary measure following cyber attacks on the accounts of their clients, the Dawn reported quoting sources.

Data of over 8,000 account holders of about 10 Pakistani banks was sold in a market of hackers, the report said quoting a digital security website krebsonsecurity.Com.

The first case of a cyber attack on a Pakistan's bank was reported by BankIslami on October 27.&nbsp;

The bank said that Rs 2.6 million was stolen from international payment cards after which it has stopped such transactions and allowed biometrically verified payments only on ATM cards within Pakistan, the report said.

The following day, the central bank (SBP) issued directives to all banks to ensure that security measures on all information technology systems including those related to card operations are continuously updated to meet future challenges, ensure real-time monitoring of card operations related systems and transactions.

They were asked to immediately coordinate with all the integrated payment schemes, switch operators and media service providers, the report said.&nbsp;

In a major security breach, data of most of the banks operating in Pakistan has been hacked, a media report said Tuesday quoting a senior cyber crime official. The disclosure comes days after around 10 banks blocked all international transactions on their cards, following concerns raised about a breach of credit and debit card data, Geo News reported.

In a major security breach, data of most of the banks operating in Pakistan has been hacked, a media report said Tuesday quoting a senior cyber crime official. The disclosure comes days after around 10 banks blocked all international transactions on their cards, following concerns raised about a breach of credit and debit card data, Geo News reported. In a shocking revelation, Director of cyber crime wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Capt Mohammad Shoaib said: "According to a recent report we have received, data from almost all Pakistani banks has been reportedly hacked". He said the FIA has written to all banks, and a meeting of the banks' heads and security managements was being called. "Banks are the custodians of the money people have stored in them," Shoaib said, adding they are also responsible if their security features are weak that they result in pilferage. Last week, the official said, a gang was arrested, whose members used to disguise themselves as army officials and withdraw money from banks after collecting people's data. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has been informed by several commercial banks that they have blocked international payments on debit and credit cards as a precautionary measure following cyber attacks on the accounts of their clients, the Dawn reported quoting sources. Data of over 8,000 account holders of about 10 Pakistani banks was sold in a market of hackers, the report said quoting a digital security website krebsonsecurity.Com. The first case of a cyber attack on a Pakistan's bank was reported by BankIslami on October 27. The bank said that Rs 2.6 million was stolen from international payment cards after which it has stopped such transactions and allowed biometrically verified payments only on ATM cards within Pakistan, the report said. The following day, the central bank (SBP) issued directives to all banks to ensure that security measures on all information technology systems including those related to card operations are continuously updated to meet future challenges, ensure real-time monitoring of card operations related systems and transactions. They were asked to immediately coordinate with all the integrated payment schemes, switch operators and media service providers, the report said.

Security breach in Pakistan, data of almost all banks hacked: Report

Facebook has moved to block referral of an Irish privacy case to Europe's top court, a lawyer for the U.S. tech giant said on Monday, seeking to avoid a potential ban on the legal instrument it uses to transfer users' data to the United States.

The case, taken by privacy activist Max Schrems, is the latest to question whether methods used by technology firms such as Google and Apple to transfer data outside the 28-nation European Union give EU consumers sufficient protection from U.S. surveillance.

The Irish High Court this month ordered the case to be referred to the EU's top court for a detailed assessment of whether the methods used for data transfers - including standard contractual clauses and the Privacy Shield agreement - were legal.

A ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) against the legal arrangements could cause major headaches for thousands of firms, which make millions of these transfers every day.

The lawyer, Paul Gallagher, told the Irish High Court on Monday that Facebook was seeking a stay on the court's referral of the case to the ECJ to give the Irish Supreme Court time to decide if it would hear an appeal.

"The ideal thing we would be looking for would be a stay pending a determination by the Supreme Court," Gallagher told the court, adding that Facebook would seek an accelerated referral to the Supreme Court so it would take days, not months.

The case was taken in Ireland, the location of Facebook's headquarters for most markets outside the United States.

The judge earlier said the case raised well-founded concerns that there is an absence of an effective remedy in U.S. law compatible with EU legal requirements.

The case is the latest to question whether methods used by technology firms such as Google and Apple to transfer data outside the 28-nation European Union give EU consumers sufficient protection from U.S. surveillance

Facebook has moved to block referral of an Irish privacy case to Europe's top court, a lawyer for the U.S. tech giant said on Monday, seeking to avoid a potential ban on the legal instrument it uses to transfer users' data to the United States. The case, taken by privacy activist Max Schrems, is the latest to question whether methods used by technology firms such as Google and Apple to transfer data outside the 28-nation European Union give EU consumers sufficient protection from U.S. surveillance. The Irish High Court this month ordered the case to be referred to the EU's top court for a detailed assessment of whether the methods used for data transfers - including standard contractual clauses and the Privacy Shield agreement - were legal. A ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) against the legal arrangements could cause major headaches for thousands of firms, which make millions of these transfers every day. The lawyer, Paul Gallagher, told the Irish High Court on Monday that Facebook was seeking a stay on the court's referral of the case to the ECJ to give the Irish Supreme Court time to decide if it would hear an appeal. "The ideal thing we would be looking for would be a stay pending a determination by the Supreme Court," Gallagher told the court, adding that Facebook would seek an accelerated referral to the Supreme Court so it would take days, not months. The case was taken in Ireland, the location of Facebook's headquarters for most markets outside the United States. The judge earlier said the case raised well-founded concerns that there is an absence of an effective remedy in U.S. law compatible with EU legal requirements.

Facebook seeks to block referral of privacy case to EU's top court

Facebook CEO <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-ceo-mark-zuckerberg-says-his-own-data-was-shared-by-cambridge-analytica-129906">Mark Zuckerberg sat through</a> the second day of hearing with US senators answering questions on data leaks but most of the answers and questions fielded by lawmakers ended inconclusively with both sides unable to set a timeline and failing to reach a consensus over privacy legislation.

In over 10 hours of questioning over the last two days, Zuckerberg was able to deflect most questions. Forty times the Facebook chief told lawmakers he had no answers at hand and would get back to them later. About one in three lawmakers got that response over the two days.

Democratic Representative Debbie Dingell expressed frustration with Zuckerberg's frequent promises to get back to lawmakers later in writing. "Some things are striking during this conversation," she said. "As CEO, you didn't know some key facts."

During the hearing, the Facebook CEO conceded that regulation was the need of the hour.

"It is inevitable that there will need to be some regulation" of internet firms, Zuckerberg said, but he avoided any specifics.

During the hearing, the Facebook chief said he was among the nearly 87 million people whose personal information was improperly shared with political consultancy firm Cambridge Analytica. He gave no further details.

"How can consumers have control over their data when Facebook does not have control over the data?" asked Representative Frank Pallone of New Jersey at the beginning of Wednesday's hearing.

Zuckerberg said it would take "many months" to complete an audit of other apps that might also have improperly gathered or shared users' data.

"I do imagine that we will find some apps that were either doing something suspicious or misusing people's data," he said.

&nbsp;

<iframe allow="autoplay encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Pk4jGxqeEEA" width="560"></iframe>

&nbsp;

In over 10 hours of questioning, Zuckerberg was able to deflect most questions

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg sat through the second day of hearing with US senators answering questions on data leaks but most of the answers and questions fielded by lawmakers ended inconclusively with both sides unable to set a timeline and failing to reach a consensus over privacy legislation. In over 10 hours of questioning over the last two days, Zuckerberg was able to deflect most questions. Forty times the Facebook chief told lawmakers he had no answers at hand and would get back to them later. About one in three lawmakers got that response over the two days. Democratic Representative Debbie Dingell expressed frustration with Zuckerberg's frequent promises to get back to lawmakers later in writing. "Some things are striking during this conversation," she said. "As CEO, you didn't know some key facts." During the hearing, the Facebook CEO conceded that regulation was the need of the hour. "It is inevitable that there will need to be some regulation" of internet firms, Zuckerberg said, but he avoided any specifics. During the hearing, the Facebook chief said he was among the nearly 87 million people whose personal information was improperly shared with political consultancy firm Cambridge Analytica. He gave no further details. "How can consumers have control over their data when Facebook does not have control over the data?" asked Representative Frank Pallone of New Jersey at the beginning of Wednesday's hearing. Zuckerberg said it would take "many months" to complete an audit of other apps that might also have improperly gathered or shared users' data. "I do imagine that we will find some apps that were either doing something suspicious or misusing people's data," he said.

As Facebook CEO, you don't know some key facts: US lawmaker to Mark Zuckerberg

Embattled Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg faced a US congressional committee over data leak to Cambridge Analytica on Tuesday.

The Facebook chief while apologising for the leak said his company will work harder to block hate messages on the social media site, calling the Myanmar situation a "terrible tragedy".

"What's happening in Myanmar is a terrible tragedy, and we need to do more," Zuckerberg said during a 5-hour joint hearing of the Senate Commerce Committee and Senate Judiciary Committee.

Several thousand Rohingyas have fled Myanmar, according to the UN at least 650, 5000 ethnic Rohingyas have crossed over to Bangladesh in order to save themselves from the Myanmar Army which has allegedly been carrying out mass persecution against them.

"It has ... substantively contributed to the level of acrimony and dissension and conflict ... within the public. Hate speech is certainly, of course, a part of that," the Facebook chief said, adding," As far as the Myanmar situation is concerned, social media is Facebook, and Facebook is social media."&nbsp;

The UN including the US has termed the deteriorating state of the Rohingyas in Myanmar a case of "ethnic cleansing" with several other nations openly condemning the military regime which has been unable to stop the exodus to Bangladesh with the Rohingyas fearing mass persecution in the country.

"It's hard to do it without people who speak the local language, and we need to ramp up our effort there dramatically," &nbsp;Zuckerberg said.

He said a Facebook team would also make undisclosed product changes in Myanmar and other countries where ethnic violence was a problem.

United Nations officials investigating a possible genocide in Myanmar said last month that Facebook had been a source of anti-Rohingya propaganda

Embattled Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg faced a US congressional committee over data leak to Cambridge Analytica on Tuesday. The Facebook chief while apologising for the leak said his company will work harder to block hate messages on the social media site, calling the Myanmar situation a "terrible tragedy". "What's happening in Myanmar is a terrible tragedy, and we need to do more," Zuckerberg said during a 5-hour joint hearing of the Senate Commerce Committee and Senate Judiciary Committee. Several thousand Rohingyas have fled Myanmar, according to the UN at least 650, 5000 ethnic Rohingyas have crossed over to Bangladesh in order to save themselves from the Myanmar Army which has allegedly been carrying out mass persecution against them. "It has ... substantively contributed to the level of acrimony and dissension and conflict ... within the public. Hate speech is certainly, of course, a part of that," the Facebook chief said, adding," As far as the Myanmar situation is concerned, social media is Facebook, and Facebook is social media." The UN including the US has termed the deteriorating state of the Rohingyas in Myanmar a case of "ethnic cleansing" with several other nations openly condemning the military regime which has been unable to stop the exodus to Bangladesh with the Rohingyas fearing mass persecution in the country. "It's hard to do it without people who speak the local language, and we need to ramp up our effort there dramatically," Zuckerberg said. He said a Facebook team would also make undisclosed product changes in Myanmar and other countries where ethnic violence was a problem.

'Facebook needs to do more to stop hate speech in Myanmar,' says Zuckerberg to US lawmakers

Under fire globally for allowing data breach, social media giant Facebook will on Monday start alerting the 87 million users, including 562,455 in India, whose data may have been compromised as the UK-based Cambridge Analytica pilfered them through an app.

The US-based company will send a detailed message at the top of users' news feed, offering information on apps they use and the information they have shared with those apps.

It will also tell people if their information may have been improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica, the data mining firm accused of harvesting personal information of millions of Facebook users illegally to influence polls in several countries.

"As part of this process we will also tell people if their information may have been improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica," the company said last week.

Facebook users will also have the opportunity to use the link to delete apps and prevent them from collecting more information, CNN reported.

Also, all 2.2 billion Facebook users will receive a link to see what apps they use and what information they have shared with those apps.

Facebook says most of the affected users (more than 70 million) are in the US, though there are over a million each in the Philippines, Indonesia and the UK.

It said the total number of potentially impacted users in India (562,455 people) is 0.6 per cent of the global number of potentially affected people.&nbsp;

A Facebook spokesperson last week said privileged data of users who had downloaded the app called 'thisisyourdigitallife', developed by Dr Aleksandr Kogan, may have been compromised.

There are about 200 million Facebook users in India. Of them, "only 335 people" were directly affected through the installation of the app, while another 562,120 people were "potentially affected" as friends of those users, the spokesperson said.

"Cambridge Analytica's acquisition of Facebook data through the app developed by Dr Aleksandr Kogan and his company Global Science Research Limited (GSR) happened without our authorisation and was an explicit violation of our Platform policies," the spokesperson had said.

The past few days have seen a global outrage over the breach of user data on Facebook, forcing the company to issue an public apology.

Facebook will send a detailed message to users' news feeds, telling them which apps they use and the information that they may have shared with those apps

Under fire globally for allowing data breach, social media giant Facebook will on Monday start alerting the 87 million users, including 562,455 in India, whose data may have been compromised as the UK-based Cambridge Analytica pilfered them through an app. The US-based company will send a detailed message at the top of users' news feed, offering information on apps they use and the information they have shared with those apps. It will also tell people if their information may have been improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica, the data mining firm accused of harvesting personal information of millions of Facebook users illegally to influence polls in several countries. "As part of this process we will also tell people if their information may have been improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica," the company said last week. Facebook users will also have the opportunity to use the link to delete apps and prevent them from collecting more information, CNN reported. Also, all 2.2 billion Facebook users will receive a link to see what apps they use and what information they have shared with those apps. Facebook says most of the affected users (more than 70 million) are in the US, though there are over a million each in the Philippines, Indonesia and the UK. It said the total number of potentially impacted users in India (562,455 people) is 0.6 per cent of the global number of potentially affected people. A Facebook spokesperson last week said privileged data of users who had downloaded the app called 'thisisyourdigitallife', developed by Dr Aleksandr Kogan, may have been compromised. There are about 200 million Facebook users in India. Of them, "only 335 people" were directly affected through the installation of the app, while another 562,120 people were "potentially affected" as friends of those users, the spokesperson said. "Cambridge Analytica's acquisition of Facebook data through the app developed by Dr Aleksandr Kogan and his company Global Science Research Limited (GSR) happened without our authorisation and was an explicit violation of our Platform policies," the spokesperson had said. The past few days have seen a global outrage over the breach of user data on Facebook, forcing the company to issue an public apology.

Facebook to start telling Indian users if their data was shared with Cambridge Analytica

The government will wait for a response from British data mining firm Cambridge Analytica before deciding on the action to be taken in the Facebook data leak case, a source said today.

Analytica has been accused of harvesting personal information of over millions of Facebook users illegally to influence polls in several countries.

US-based social media giant Facebook had said earlier in the day that 5.62 lakh people in India were “potentially affected” by global data leak, involving Analytica.

A senior government official confirmed that the IT ministry has received Facebook’s response to its notice.

The Indian government will wait for a response of Cambridge Analytica before deciding on the action to be taken in Facebook data leak case, the source said.

Facebook has over 20 crore users in the country and the Indian government last month had shot-off notices to both Facebook and Analytica on the data breach issue.

Facebook had yesterday admitted that data on about 87 million people — mostly in the US — may have been improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica.

The IT ministry has received Facebook's response to its notice, the government will wait for a response from Cambridge Analytica before deciding on the action to be taken, the source said.

The government will wait for a response from British data mining firm Cambridge Analytica before deciding on the action to be taken in the Facebook data leak case, a source said today. Analytica has been accused of harvesting personal information of over millions of Facebook users illegally to influence polls in several countries. US-based social media giant Facebook had said earlier in the day that 5.62 lakh people in India were “potentially affected” by global data leak, involving Analytica. A senior government official confirmed that the IT ministry has received Facebook’s response to its notice. The Indian government will wait for a response of Cambridge Analytica before deciding on the action to be taken in Facebook data leak case, the source said. Facebook has over 20 crore users in the country and the Indian government last month had shot-off notices to both Facebook and Analytica on the data breach issue. Facebook had yesterday admitted that data on about 87 million people — mostly in the US — may have been improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica.

‘Govt to wait for Cambridge Analytica’s reply before action in Facebook data leak case’

Cambridge Analytica (CA), which is in the midst of the Facebook data privacy storm, has come to the fore and responded to the hearing of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, saying that whistleblower Chris Wylie had "no direct knowledge of the company's work or practices since 2014."

"Chris Wylie was a part-time contractor who left Cambridge Analytica in July 2014 and has no direct knowledge of the company's work or practices since that date. He was at the company for less than a year, after which he was made the subject of restraining undertakings to prevent his misuse of the company's intellectual property while attempting to set up his own rival firm. He was not, as he claims, a founder of Cambridge Analytica," the firm, said in a statement.

"Wylie has misrepresented himself and the company to the committee, and previously to the news media. He admits himself that what he says is speculation," the statement added.

Wylie had previously claimed in front of a British parliamentary committee that the Indian National Congress had hired the company. However, the company has said that Wylie has "misrepresented himself and the company to the committee, and previously to the news media."

"He admits himself that what he says is speculation", the statement read.

Congress refuted that it had tried to sway elections with the help of Cambridge Analytica. Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala referred to statements in the parts of the deposition before the House of Commons which talked about how an Indian businessman was paying Cambridge Analytica to defeat Congress.

The BJP and Congress had swapped allegations last week, each blaming the other for taking help from Cambridge Analytica to influence elections. Cambridge Analytica is accused of harvesting personal data of Facebook users to influence elections in several countries including the US presidential elections. The company, founded by Stephen K. Bannon and Robert Mercer, a wealthy Republican donor who has put at least US $15 million into it, offered tools that could identify the personalities of American voters and influence their behaviour.

The so-called psychographic modelling techniques, which were built in part with the data harvested from Facebook, underpinned the company's work for the then-Republican nominee and US President Donald Trump's campaign in 2016. On that note, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has finally decided to testify before US Congress after repeated calls to speak over data privacy.

This comes after immense pressure on Zuckerberg from lawmakers, the media and the public after the Facebook founder last week apologised for data breach and said the platform had made "mistakes". The sources believe Zuckerberg's willingness to testify will also put pressure on Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey to do the same.

(With ANI inputs)

'Wylie has misrepresented himself and the company to the committee, and previously to the news media. He admits himself that what he says is speculation,' the statement added

Cambridge Analytica (CA), which is in the midst of the Facebook data privacy storm, has come to the fore and responded to the hearing of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, saying that whistleblower Chris Wylie had "no direct knowledge of the company's work or practices since 2014." "Chris Wylie was a part-time contractor who left Cambridge Analytica in July 2014 and has no direct knowledge of the company's work or practices since that date. He was at the company for less than a year, after which he was made the subject of restraining undertakings to prevent his misuse of the company's intellectual property while attempting to set up his own rival firm. He was not, as he claims, a founder of Cambridge Analytica," the firm, said in a statement. "Wylie has misrepresented himself and the company to the committee, and previously to the news media. He admits himself that what he says is speculation," the statement added. Wylie had previously claimed in front of a British parliamentary committee that the Indian National Congress had hired the company. However, the company has said that Wylie has "misrepresented himself and the company to the committee, and previously to the news media." "He admits himself that what he says is speculation", the statement read. Congress refuted that it had tried to sway elections with the help of Cambridge Analytica. Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala referred to statements in the parts of the deposition before the House of Commons which talked about how an Indian businessman was paying Cambridge Analytica to defeat Congress. The BJP and Congress had swapped allegations last week, each blaming the other for taking help from Cambridge Analytica to influence elections. Cambridge Analytica is accused of harvesting personal data of Facebook users to influence elections in several countries including the US presidential elections. The company, founded by Stephen K. Bannon and Robert Mercer, a wealthy Republican donor who has put at least US $15 million into it, offered tools that could identify the personalities of American voters and influence their behaviour. The so-called psychographic modelling techniques, which were built in part with the data harvested from Facebook, underpinned the company's work for the then-Republican nominee and US President Donald Trump's campaign in 2016. On that note, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has finally decided to testify before US Congress after repeated calls to speak over data privacy. This comes after immense pressure on Zuckerberg from lawmakers, the media and the public after the Facebook founder last week apologised for data breach and said the platform had made "mistakes". The sources believe Zuckerberg's willingness to testify will also put pressure on Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey to do the same. (With ANI inputs)

Chris Wylie left in 2014, has no direct knowledge of company's practices: Cambridge Analytica

The European Union has given Facebook two weeks to answer questions raised by the scandal over personal data harvested from the social network, according to a copy of a letter obtained by AFP on Tuesday.

"Have any data of EU citizens been affected by the recent scandal?" the EU's justice commissioner Vera Jourova wrote Facebook, listing one of the questions. "I would appreciate a reply in the next two weeks."

Zuckerberg apologized last week for the mistakes Facebook had made and promised tougher steps to restrict developers' access to such information

The European Union has given Facebook two weeks to answer questions raised by the scandal over personal data harvested from the social network, according to a copy of a letter obtained by AFP on Tuesday. "Have any data of EU citizens been affected by the recent scandal?" the EU's justice commissioner Vera Jourova wrote Facebook, listing one of the questions. "I would appreciate a reply in the next two weeks."

EU gives Facebook 'two weeks' to answer data scandal questions: letter

Facebook faces substantial business risks from new European Union privacy rules set to take effect in May, a looming reality that came into stark relief over the weekend with revelations that a controversial political consulting firm had improperly obtained personal data on 50 million Facebook users.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-republican-lawmakers-concerned-by-facebook-data-leak-36335" target="_blank">US Republican lawmakers concerned by </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-republican-lawmakers-concerned-by-facebook-data-leak-36335" target="_blank">Facebook</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-republican-lawmakers-concerned-by-facebook-data-leak-36335" target="_blank"> data leak</a>

Privacy experts said the disclosure that a researcher had sold Facebook data collected via a personality quiz to the consulting firm Cambridge Analytica is a prime example of the kinds of practices that the new General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, is supposed to prevent or punish.

The danger faced by Facebook going forward is two-fold: Complying with the rules means letting European users opt out of the highly targeted online ads that have made Facebook a money machine. Violating GDPR mandates could subject the California company to fines of up to 4 percent of annual revenues.

Had the Cambridge Analytica incident happened after GDPR becomes law on May 25, it &ldquo;would have cost Facebook 4 percent of their global revenue&rdquo;, said Austrian privacy campaigner and Facebook critic Max Schrems. Because a UK company was involved and because at least some of the people whose data was misused were almost certainly European, GDPR would have applied.

Shares in Facebook fell on Monday by 7 percent, their biggest drop since 2014, wiping nearly $40 billion off the value of the firm founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg.

Schrems first raised concerns in 2011 about how easy it would be for third-party apps to harvest data from the unwitting friends of Facebook users. Facebook says it has tightened its controls on such practices since it discovered the alleged abuses by Cambridge Analytica in 2015.

Schrems has founded a non-profit, called None Of Your Business (NOYB), that is hiring lawyers and exploring avenues for &ldquo;strategic litigation&rdquo; over GDPR privacy violations.

According to whistleblower Christopher Wylie, who formerly worked with Cambridge Analytica, the consulting firm used the data to help then-US presidential candidate Donald Trump to predict and influence choices at the ballot box.

&ldquo;The fact of the matter is that Facebook lost control of the data and wasn&rsquo;t adequately monitoring what third-parties were doing,&rdquo; said Scott Vernick, a partner and an expert in privacy and data security at the Philadelphia law firm Fox Rothschild.

Vernick said the maximum GDPR fine could come into play in an incident like this because of the number of users affected and what appears to have been inadequate monitoring of third-party data practices.

Facebook said it changed its policies in 2014 to &ldquo;to give much less data, especially about friends,&rdquo; Facebook Vice President Andrew Bosworth said in a Facebook post on Monday.

&ldquo;We conduct a robust review to identify potential policy violations and to assess whether the app has a legitimate use for the data,&rdquo; the company said on Monday. &ldquo;We actually reject a significant number of apps through this process.&rdquo;

Compliance with GDPR rules could cost Facebook a significant amount of money. Deutsche Bank analysts in January estimated that Facebook&rsquo;s overall revenue could be lowered by 4 percent in a scenario in which 30 percent of EU users opt out of targeted ads, reducing the effectiveness and likely price of ads shown by 50 percent.

The EU represents 24 percent of Facebook&rsquo;s ad revenue, so multiplying those figures, the bank said the regulations could have a 4 percent impact on overall Facebook revenue.

&ldquo;If this regulatory approach spreads to other countries or if GDPR ever becomes more onerous over the medium or long term, it would pose more risk,&rdquo; Deutsche Bank warned.

The firestorm over Cambridge Analytica has prompted a furious response from lawmakers on both sides of the Atlantic, raising the prospect of just such an expansion of privacy protections.

Pivotal Research analyst Brian Wieser reiterated his &lsquo;sell&rsquo; rating on Facebook after the weekend reports. Wieser expressed concerns that the company&rsquo;s regulatory risks would intensify and that its sophisticated use of data in advertising was in jeopardy.

A December 2017 survey found that only 21 percent of European consumers know what GDPR is. But after the regulation was explained, 82 percent of respondents said they plan to exercise their new rights, according to the survey of 7,000 Europeans conducted by Cambridge, Mass.-based Pegasystems Inc, which makes sales and marketing software.

PageFair, an Irish startup that helps a website deliver non-targeted ads and avoid ad-blocking, estimates that only 3 percent of European social media users will opt-in to targeted ads, a potentially &ldquo;devastating&rdquo; blow for Facebook and other platforms, says Johnny Ryan, PageFair&rsquo;s head of ecosystem.

GIVING CONSUMERS CONTROL

The quandary for Facebook is readily apparent from a video it began showing customers in February: it teaches people how to delete their accounts.

GDPR gives users the right to access their data, delete it or transfer it to competing companies. Social networks will also need to regain Europeans&rsquo; consent every time they want to use their data in new ways, including for targeted advertising.

Lawmakers had social networks in mind when drafting GDPR, said Helen Dixon, the data protection commissioner of Ireland, which is the lead GDPR regulator for numerous tech companies including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

&ldquo;There was very big consideration of these newer types of platforms,&rdquo; she told Reuters.

Tough European rules stand in sharp contrast to the lack of privacy regulation in the United States and many other countries, raising the prospect that Facebook will begin to look much different from one country to the next.

For example, the social media giant in 2017 released new artificial intelligence features that detect when a user is at risk of suicide or when someone else uploads a picture of their face.

The company did not make those features available in Europe. Facebook did not specify a reason. But heightened scrutiny in Europe over such practices with GDPR looming may have been a factor.

Another challenge for social networks is GDPR provisions mandating how companies must obtain permissions. The regulation demands that requests for consent be presented &ldquo;in an intelligible and easily accessible form, using clear and plain language.&rdquo;

In other words, the days of extensive &ldquo;terms of service&rdquo; agreements written in a small text will no longer pass muster in Europe, numerous data privacy lawyers told Reuters.

In practice, social network users may find themselves seeing more &ldquo;permissions screens&rdquo; and being asked to check boxes every time a social network rolls out a new feature.

That could depress usage, Facebook Chief Financial Officer David Wehner said at an investor conference last month.

&ldquo;Whenever you walk people through permission screens, there&rsquo;s some potential that people decide they&rsquo;re not going to use the product,&rdquo; Wehner said. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t think it will be big, but there could be some implication there.&rdquo;

Shares in Facebook fell on Monday by 7 percent, their biggest drop since 2014, wiping nearly $40 billion off the value of the firm founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg

Facebook faces substantial business risks from new European Union privacy rules set to take effect in May, a looming reality that came into stark relief over the weekend with revelations that a controversial political consulting firm had improperly obtained personal data on 50 million Facebook users. Also read: US Republican lawmakers concerned by Facebook data leak Privacy experts said the disclosure that a researcher had sold Facebook data collected via a personality quiz to the consulting firm Cambridge Analytica is a prime example of the kinds of practices that the new General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, is supposed to prevent or punish. The danger faced by Facebook going forward is two-fold: Complying with the rules means letting European users opt out of the highly targeted online ads that have made Facebook a money machine. Violating GDPR mandates could subject the California company to fines of up to 4 percent of annual revenues. Had the Cambridge Analytica incident happened after GDPR becomes law on May 25, it “would have cost Facebook 4 percent of their global revenue”, said Austrian privacy campaigner and Facebook critic Max Schrems. Because a UK company was involved and because at least some of the people whose data was misused were almost certainly European, GDPR would have applied. Shares in Facebook fell on Monday by 7 percent, their biggest drop since 2014, wiping nearly $40 billion off the value of the firm founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg. Schrems first raised concerns in 2011 about how easy it would be for third-party apps to harvest data from the unwitting friends of Facebook users. Facebook says it has tightened its controls on such practices since it discovered the alleged abuses by Cambridge Analytica in 2015. Schrems has founded a non-profit, called None Of Your Business (NOYB), that is hiring lawyers and exploring avenues for “strategic litigation” over GDPR privacy violations. According to whistleblower Christopher Wylie, who formerly worked with Cambridge Analytica, the consulting firm used the data to help then-US presidential candidate Donald Trump to predict and influence choices at the ballot box. “The fact of the matter is that Facebook lost control of the data and wasn’t adequately monitoring what third-parties were doing,” said Scott Vernick, a partner and an expert in privacy and data security at the Philadelphia law firm Fox Rothschild. Vernick said the maximum GDPR fine could come into play in an incident like this because of the number of users affected and what appears to have been inadequate monitoring of third-party data practices. Facebook said it changed its policies in 2014 to “to give much less data, especially about friends,” Facebook Vice President Andrew Bosworth said in a Facebook post on Monday. “We conduct a robust review to identify potential policy violations and to assess whether the app has a legitimate use for the data,” the company said on Monday. “We actually reject a significant number of apps through this process.” Compliance with GDPR rules could cost Facebook a significant amount of money. Deutsche Bank analysts in January estimated that Facebook’s overall revenue could be lowered by 4 percent in a scenario in which 30 percent of EU users opt out of targeted ads, reducing the effectiveness and likely price of ads shown by 50 percent. The EU represents 24 percent of Facebook’s ad revenue, so multiplying those figures, the bank said the regulations could have a 4 percent impact on overall Facebook revenue. “If this regulatory approach spreads to other countries or if GDPR ever becomes more onerous over the medium or long term, it would pose more risk,” Deutsche Bank warned. The firestorm over Cambridge Analytica has prompted a furious response from lawmakers on both sides of the Atlantic, raising the prospect of just such an expansion of privacy protections. Pivotal Research analyst Brian Wieser reiterated his ‘sell’ rating on Facebook after the weekend reports. Wieser expressed concerns that the company’s regulatory risks would intensify and that its sophisticated use of data in advertising was in jeopardy. A December 2017 survey found that only 21 percent of European consumers know what GDPR is. But after the regulation was explained, 82 percent of respondents said they plan to exercise their new rights, according to the survey of 7,000 Europeans conducted by Cambridge, Mass.-based Pegasystems Inc, which makes sales and marketing software. PageFair, an Irish startup that helps a website deliver non-targeted ads and avoid ad-blocking, estimates that only 3 percent of European social media users will opt-in to targeted ads, a potentially “devastating” blow for Facebook and other platforms, says Johnny Ryan, PageFair’s head of ecosystem. GIVING CONSUMERS CONTROL The quandary for Facebook is readily apparent from a video it began showing customers in February: it teaches people how to delete their accounts. GDPR gives users the right to access their data, delete it or transfer it to competing companies. Social networks will also need to regain Europeans’ consent every time they want to use their data in new ways, including for targeted advertising. Lawmakers had social networks in mind when drafting GDPR, said Helen Dixon, the data protection commissioner of Ireland, which is the lead GDPR regulator for numerous tech companies including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. “There was very big consideration of these newer types of platforms,” she told Reuters. Tough European rules stand in sharp contrast to the lack of privacy regulation in the United States and many other countries, raising the prospect that Facebook will begin to look much different from one country to the next. For example, the social media giant in 2017 released new artificial intelligence features that detect when a user is at risk of suicide or when someone else uploads a picture of their face. The company did not make those features available in Europe. Facebook did not specify a reason. But heightened scrutiny in Europe over such practices with GDPR looming may have been a factor. Another challenge for social networks is GDPR provisions mandating how companies must obtain permissions. The regulation demands that requests for consent be presented “in an intelligible and easily accessible form, using clear and plain language.” In other words, the days of extensive “terms of service” agreements written in a small text will no longer pass muster in Europe, numerous data privacy lawyers told Reuters. In practice, social network users may find themselves seeing more “permissions screens” and being asked to check boxes every time a social network rolls out a new feature. That could depress usage, Facebook Chief Financial Officer David Wehner said at an investor conference last month. “Whenever you walk people through permission screens, there’s some potential that people decide they’re not going to use the product,” Wehner said. “We don’t think it will be big, but there could be some implication there.”

Privacy issues emerge as major business risk for Facebook

Several US Republican lawmakers expressed concern over privacy violations on Sunday after media reports that a political consultancy that worked on President Donald Trump&rsquo;s campaign gained inappropriate access to 50 million Facebook users&rsquo; data.&nbsp;

Republican Senator Marco Rubio said he believed some internet companies have grown too fast to digest their responsibilities and obligations.

&ldquo;So we&rsquo;ll learn more about this in the days to come. But yeah I&rsquo;m disturbed by that,&rdquo; Rubio told NBC&rsquo;s &ldquo;Meet the Press.&rdquo;

Senator Rand Paul was asked whether people can trust companies like Facebook in the wake of the report about Cambridge Analytica taking data.&nbsp;

&ldquo;People have to look into it. Whether or not it broke the law, absolutely, the privacy of the American consumer, the American individual, should be protected,&rdquo; Paul said on CNN.

Facebook disclosed the issue in a blog post on Friday, hours before media reports that conservative-leaning Cambridge Analytica, a data company known for its work on Trump&rsquo;s 2016 presidential campaign, was given access to the data and may not have deleted it.

Facebook said in a statement that a Cambridge University psychology professor had lied to the company and violated its policies by passing data to Cambridge Analytica from an app he had developed. It suspended the firm from Facebook.

Facebook did not immediately reply when asked on Sunday for a response to the lawmakers&rsquo; comments. However, in a new statement Sunday, the company said it was conducting a &ldquo;comprehensive internal and external review&rdquo; to determine if the user data in question still existed.&nbsp;

Cambridge Analytica and the professor have denied violating Facebook&rsquo;s terms, according to media reports.

The scrutiny presented a new threat to Facebook&rsquo;s reputation, which was already under attack over Russians&rsquo; use of Facebook tools to sway American voters before and after the 2016 U.S. elections.&nbsp;

Republican Senator Jeff Flake said he had a lot of questions about the data taken from Facebook, including who knew it had been taken and whether it is still being used.

&ldquo;This is a big deal, when you have that amount of data, and the privacy violations there are significant,&rdquo; he told CNN&rsquo;s &ldquo;State of the Union&rdquo; program. &ldquo;So the question is who knew it and when did they know it, how long did this go on and what happens to that data now.&rdquo;

Facebook faced new calls for regulation from Democratic senators on Saturday and was hit with questions about personal data safeguards, but it was unclear whether the Republican-controlled Congress would act.

U.S. Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said more investigation was needed.

&ldquo;We need to find out what we can about the misappropriation of the privacy, the private information of tens of millions of Americans,&rdquo; he said Sunday on ABC&rsquo;s &ldquo;This Week.&rdquo;

Also on ABC, Senator James Lankford, a Republican, said it was not known whether the incident was connected to the Trump campaign.&nbsp;

Republican Senator Marco Rubio said he believed some internet companies have grown too fast to digest their responsibilities and obligations

Several US Republican lawmakers expressed concern over privacy violations on Sunday after media reports that a political consultancy that worked on President Donald Trump’s campaign gained inappropriate access to 50 million Facebook users’ data. Republican Senator Marco Rubio said he believed some internet companies have grown too fast to digest their responsibilities and obligations. “So we’ll learn more about this in the days to come. But yeah I’m disturbed by that,” Rubio told NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Senator Rand Paul was asked whether people can trust companies like Facebook in the wake of the report about Cambridge Analytica taking data. “People have to look into it. Whether or not it broke the law, absolutely, the privacy of the American consumer, the American individual, should be protected,” Paul said on CNN. Facebook disclosed the issue in a blog post on Friday, hours before media reports that conservative-leaning Cambridge Analytica, a data company known for its work on Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, was given access to the data and may not have deleted it. Facebook said in a statement that a Cambridge University psychology professor had lied to the company and violated its policies by passing data to Cambridge Analytica from an app he had developed. It suspended the firm from Facebook. Facebook did not immediately reply when asked on Sunday for a response to the lawmakers’ comments. However, in a new statement Sunday, the company said it was conducting a “comprehensive internal and external review” to determine if the user data in question still existed. Cambridge Analytica and the professor have denied violating Facebook’s terms, according to media reports. The scrutiny presented a new threat to Facebook’s reputation, which was already under attack over Russians’ use of Facebook tools to sway American voters before and after the 2016 U.S. elections. Republican Senator Jeff Flake said he had a lot of questions about the data taken from Facebook, including who knew it had been taken and whether it is still being used. “This is a big deal, when you have that amount of data, and the privacy violations there are significant,” he told CNN’s “State of the Union” program. “So the question is who knew it and when did they know it, how long did this go on and what happens to that data now.” Facebook faced new calls for regulation from Democratic senators on Saturday and was hit with questions about personal data safeguards, but it was unclear whether the Republican-controlled Congress would act. U.S. Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said more investigation was needed. “We need to find out what we can about the misappropriation of the privacy, the private information of tens of millions of Americans,” he said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.” Also on ABC, Senator James Lankford, a Republican, said it was not known whether the incident was connected to the Trump campaign.

US Republican lawmakers concerned by Facebook data leak

Personal details of over 200,000 Malaysian organ donors and their next of kin have been leaked, with the data available online for over a year, a local tech portal reported on Tuesday.

This is the second big data leak reported in Malaysia in three months. In November, Malaysia said it was investigating an alleged attempt to sell personal data of more than 46 million mobile phone subscribers online, in what could be one of the largest leaks of customer data in Asia.

Files containing details of 220,000 pledged organ donors were leaked online as early as September 2016, Lowyat.net reported on Tuesday. The source was not identified.

Leaked data includes the donor&#39;s name, identification card number, race, nationality, address and phone numbers, it said. The data also contains details of each organ donor&#39;s one nominated next of kin, taking the total number of data leak victims to 440,000.

Based on the details and the scale of the data, it was likely leaked from a central database, the report said.

The country&#39;s internet regulator, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), said it was assisting the police in their investigations into the reported leak. The police did not have an immediate comment.

Vijandren Ramadass, the founder of Lowyat.net, told Reuters that the portal discovered the leak being shared on a popular file sharing site for free.

&quot;The files are still online now. We did submit a direct request to the host on Sunday to remove the files but we didn&#39;t get any response,&quot; he said.

Lowyat.net also uncovered the data leak of mobile phone users last year.

That data of 46.2 million customers was extensive enough to allow criminals to create fraudulent identities to make online purchases, cybersecurity experts have said. It also contained personal data from some medical associations and a jobs portal.

This is the second big data leak reported in Malaysia in three months

Personal details of over 200,000 Malaysian organ donors and their next of kin have been leaked, with the data available online for over a year, a local tech portal reported on Tuesday. This is the second big data leak reported in Malaysia in three months. In November, Malaysia said it was investigating an alleged attempt to sell personal data of more than 46 million mobile phone subscribers online, in what could be one of the largest leaks of customer data in Asia. Files containing details of 220,000 pledged organ donors were leaked online as early as September 2016, Lowyat.net reported on Tuesday. The source was not identified. Leaked data includes the donor's name, identification card number, race, nationality, address and phone numbers, it said. The data also contains details of each organ donor's one nominated next of kin, taking the total number of data leak victims to 440,000. Based on the details and the scale of the data, it was likely leaked from a central database, the report said. The country's internet regulator, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), said it was assisting the police in their investigations into the reported leak. The police did not have an immediate comment. Vijandren Ramadass, the founder of Lowyat.net, told Reuters that the portal discovered the leak being shared on a popular file sharing site for free. "The files are still online now. We did submit a direct request to the host on Sunday to remove the files but we didn't get any response," he said. Lowyat.net also uncovered the data leak of mobile phone users last year. That data of 46.2 million customers was extensive enough to allow criminals to create fraudulent identities to make online purchases, cybersecurity experts have said. It also contained personal data from some medical associations and a jobs portal.

Personal details of over 200,000 Malaysian organ donors leaked online: Report

data-leak

Data Leak, News on Data Leak, stories on Data Leak, articles on Data Leak, Data Leak stories at Wion, Data Leak news, Data Leak latest news