Facebook Runs UK, US Newspaper Ads Apologising for Data Scandal

Advertisement
By Agence France-Presse | Updated: 26 March 2018 11:03 IST

Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg took out full-page ads in nine major British and US newspapers on Sunday to apologise for a huge data privacy scandal.

"We have a responsibility to protect your information. If we can't we don't deserve it," he said.

The ads ran in prominent positions in six British nationals, including the best-selling Mail on Sunday, The Sunday Times and The Observer - which helped break the story - as well as the New York Times, Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal.

Advertisement


Zuckerberg explained there was a quiz developed by a university researcher "that leaked Facebook data of millions of people in 2014".

Advertisement

"This was a breach of trust, and I'm sorry we didn't do more at the time. We're now taking steps to make sure this doesn't happen again," he said.

The ad reflects public statements Zuckerberg made last week after the row prompted investigations in Europe and the United States, and sent Facebook's share price plunging.

Advertisement

He repeated that the social media giant had changed the rules on apps so no such data breach could happen again.

"We're also investigating every single app that had access to large amounts of data before we fixed this. We expect there are others," he wrote.

Advertisement

"And when we find them, we will ban them and tell everyone affected."

There was no mention of the British firm accused of using the data, Cambridge Analytica, which worked on US President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign.

It too has blamed the University of Cambridge researcher Alexsandr Kogan, for any potential breach of data rules

Kogan created a lifestyle quiz app for Facebook which was downloaded by 270,000 people, but allowed access to tens of millions of their contacts.

Facebook says he passed this to Cambridge Analytica without its knowledge. Kogan says he is being made a scapegoat.

 

Catch the latest from the Consumer Electronics Show on Gadgets 360, at our CES 2026 hub.

Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Flipkart Sale Early Deals: iPhone 17 Price in India Drops Under Rs. 75,000
  2. Honor Magic 8 Pro Air Unboxing Video Reveals Key Specifications
  3. This Realme P Series Phone Could Launch in India With a 10,000mAh Battery
  4. Samsung Galaxy A07 5G Launched With 6,000mAh Battery: Price, Features
  5. iQOO Z11 Turbo Selfie Camera Revealed in New Teasers
  6. Here's When the Vivo V70 Series Could Launch in India
  7. Here Are Some of the Best Smartphones Available in India With AMOLED Displays
  1. Vivo V70 Series India Launch Timeline Leaked; Two Models Expected to Debut
  2. iPhone 17 Price in India Drops Under Rs. 75,000 Ahead of Flipkart Republic Day Sale 2026
  3. Slack Introduces Agentic AI: How the New Slackbot Automates Your Workflow
  4. Arc Raiders' Sales Cross 12.4 Million Copies as Embark Studios Rolls Out New Update
  5. Qubo Dashcam 4G Live Launched in India With Live GPS Tracking, Safety Alerts Alongside Dashcam Trio: Price, Features
  6. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 to Reportedly Miss Out on Major Camera Upgrades; Specifications Leak
  7. Apple's iOS 26.3 Beta 2 Update Hints at End-to-End Encryption Support for RCS Messaging: Report
  8. Realme P Series Phone With 10,000mAh Battery Spotted on BIS Website; Could Launch in India Soon
  9. OpenAI Acquires HealthTech Startup Torch, Plans to Integrate It With ChatGPT Health
  10. Oppo A6c China Launch Date Announced; Company Reveals Design, Colour Options
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2026. All rights reserved.