The Internet Society is disappointed, but not surprised, at the news of the Facebook/Cambridge Analytica revelations. This incident is simply the natural outcome of today’s data driven economy that puts businesses and others first, not users.
Mark Zuckerberg’s apology is a first step, but it’s not enough. The seriousness of the revelations call for more than mere apologies. Change is needed.
Society needs higher standards for transparency and ethics when it comes to the handling of our information. Anyone who collects data must be accountable to their users and to society. As we have seen this week, data abuse and mishandling can have grave consequences for both individuals and society.
The Internet Society is deeply committed to an Internet that is trusted by its users. In a connected world, everyone is affected by everybody else’s actions. Incidents like this contribute to an overall climate of declining trust in the Internet and threaten its economic value.
Businesses must do better.
