Facebook updates privacy amid Cambridge Analytica scandal

Apr 3, 2018 | Facebook marketing, Regulation, Social media

Facebook has unveiled new tools to make it easier for users to see and access the data the social network holds on them, as the social media giant aims to regain trust after a backlash from users over the Cambridge Analytica data scandal.

New features include a redesigned settings menu on mobile devices, a privacy shortcuts menu, and a tool called “Access Your Information.”

The move comes after reports that a quiz app harvested 50 million Facebook profiles for data which were then sent over to Cambridge Analytica, a firm that was caught claiming it handled the digital aspects of President Donald Trump’s 2016 election campaign.

Facebook has redesigned the settings menu on mobile devices to make things easier to find. All the different sections under the settings tab will now be a in a single place.

The technology giant has also added a privacy shortcuts menu. Users can go to this menu to add extra security when logging in, review and delete what you’ve shared from search history to friend requests, and manage the information on your profile and who sees your posts.


Facebook is also introducing a tool called “Access Your Information” to let you see the comments you’ve left or posts you’ve shared and delete them. The company also said it will make it easier for users to download their data, such as photos and contacts you’ve added to your account, and even move it to another service.

Finally, Facebook said that it will be proposing new terms of service and will be updating its data policy to “better spell out what data we collect and how we use it.” The technology firm said that most of the updates “have been in the works for some time,” but the recent events “underscore their importance.”


“The last week showed how much more work we need to do to enforce our policies, and to help people understand how Facebook works and the choices they have over their data,” Facebook said in a blog post.”We’ve heard loud and clear that privacy settings and other important tools are too hard to find, and that we must do more to keep people informed.”

Read the blog post here