Connecticut and New York have joined 35 other states to investigate Facebook’s use of personal data. This comes as The Federal Trade Commission also confirms it is investigating the company.
Facebook is facing scrutiny after revelations that Cambridge Analytica got data on Facebook users even though they hadn’t given explicit consent. Facebook is also being questioned over reports that it collected years of call and text logs from Android users. Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen said the goal of the state investigation is to warn other companies.
“That they make protecting personal privacy and personal information a priority rather than something that’s stuck on the backburner,” said Jepsen.
Jepsen did not rule out a financial penalty if there was a violation of privacy laws. The FTC is investigating if Facebook violated a consent decree it signed in 2011 after similar data was shared with advertisers without permission.
This report comes from the New England News Collaborative. Eight public media companies, including Rhode Island Public Radio, joining together to tell the story of a changing region, with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.