Canada’s Privacy Commissioner Launches Facebook Investigation

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada has announced it has opened up an investigation into Facebook, related to recent media reports of the Cambridge Analytica privacy scandal.

Opc blk en

“We have received a complaint against Facebook in relation to allegations involving Cambridge Analytica and have therefore opened a formal investigation,” said Commissioner Daniel Therrien, in a statement. “The first step will be to confirm with the company whether the personal information of Facebook users in Canada was affected.”

According to early details, the investigation will take a look at Facebook’s compliance with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), Canada’s private sector privacy law.

“The allegations we’ve seen in media reports raise extremely important privacy questions. The digital world, and social media in particular, have become entrenched in our daily lives and people want their rights to be respected,” added Therrien.

Canadian officials will remain in contact with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office and the latter’s ongoing related investigation.

“Ultimately, our goal is to ensure that the privacy rights of Canadian Facebook users are protected,” explained the Commissioner.

Earlier today, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg admitted the company made “mistakes” in the handling of the how developers accessed private user information, and outlined new steps coming to clamp down on platform abuse.

P.S. - Like our news? Support the site with a coffee/beer. Or shop with our Amazon link. We use affiliate links when possible--thank you for supporting independent media.