BREAKING NEWS: Australian government sues Facebook for allegedly disclosing 300,000 users’ personal data without their consent
- Australian Information Commissioner lodged proceedings against Facebook
- Facebook allegedly allowed survey app to access users’ personal information
- Facebook also allegedly let the app see data belonging to their friends
- The Federal Court can impose a civil penalty of up to $1,700,000
The federal government is suing Facebook for allegedly disclosing more than 300,000 Australians’ personal data without their consent.
The Australian Information Commissioner lodged proceedings against Facebook in the Federal Court on Monday.
It is alleged that Facebook allowed the survey app This is Your Digital Life to access users’ personal information such as their relationship status, occupation, political and religious views and interests.
The federal government is suing Facebook for allegedly disclosing more than 300,000 Australians’ personal data without their consent
Only 56 people downloaded the app in Australia but Facebook allegedly let the app see data belonging to their friends totalling 311,127 people.
This is Your Digital Life then sold that data to British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica in breach of Facebook’s policies, court documents allege.
The alleged breaches of the Privacy Act occurred from March 2014 to May 2015.
Australian Information Commissioner and Privacy Commissioner Angelene Falk said: ‘All entities operating in Australia must be transparent and accountable in the way they handle personal information, in accordance with their obligations under Australian privacy law.
‘We consider the design of the Facebook platform meant that users were unable to exercise reasonable choice and control about how their personal information was disclosed.
‘Facebook’s default settings facilitated the disclosure of personal information, including sensitive information, at the expense of privacy.
‘We claim these actions left the personal data of around 311,127 Australian Facebook users exposed to be sold and used for purposes including political profiling, well outside users’ expectations.’
The Federal Court can impose a civil penalty of up to $1,700,000 for each serious or repeated interference with privacy.
A Facebook spokesman said: ‘We’ve actively engaged with the OAIC over the past two years as part of their investigation.
‘We’ve made major changes to our platforms, in consultation with international regulators, to restrict the information available to app developers, implement new governance protocols and build industry-leading controls to help people protect and manage their data.
‘We’re unable to comment further as this is now before the Federal Court’.