Mark Zuckerberg Saves Face with Full‑Page Apology
Last Sunday, Facebook’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, hired the biggest platforms in the UK and the US to plant full‑page headlines — a clear attempt to mend a trust crisis that rattled millions.
Why Full‑Page?
Instead of a brief note, Zuckerberg chose the prime spots in six big UK papers — the Mail on Sunday, The Sunday Times, The Observer, and more — plus the New York Times, Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal. It was a bold move to confront the 2014 data leak that saw personal info left out in the open.
What Went Wrong?
A quirky quiz by a university researcher leaked Facebook data of a staggering number of users. In 2014, the so‑called “tombstone” app accessed millions of people’s contacts, sparking outrage when its owner, Alex Kogan, passed the data to Cambridge Analytica, a firm that later linked to a U.S. election campaign.
Zuckerberg’s Take
“We have a responsibility to protect your information. If we can’t, we don’t deserve it,” he wrote. He admitted the reality: this was a breach of trust. And he promised real change.
- He announced that permanently altered app rules now prevent such data leaks.
- He committed to review every app that had access to large amounts of data.
- Whenever a problem is detected, the offending app will be banned and the impacted users will be notified.
The incident caused a sharp downturn in Facebook’s share price and triggered investigations across Europe and the United States. In no official statement was Cambridge Analytica or its alleged involvement mentioned – leaving some questions hanging.
Next Steps for Users
While the company is tightening its data‑handling policies, users are encouraged to stay vigilant: check app permissions, report suspicious activity and regularly review friend lists or insight data. It’s a reminder that tech power is great, but it comes with a duty to guard the personal bits we trust each other with.
