Facebook has appealed against a fine from the UK data protection watchdog over a massive data leak to Cambridge Analytica on the grounds that British data were not shared with the firm. The Finacial Times reports that the embattled social network said a £500,000 fine from the UK Information Commissioner’s Office had “stemmed from concerns that UK citizens’ data may have been impacted by Cambridge Analytica”. The ICO this month concluded a months-long investigation into the firm and said it had not found evidence British data had been shared. “Therefore, the core of the ICO’s argument no longer relates to the events involving Cambridge Analytica,” said Anna Benckert, vice-president and associate general counsel for Facebook in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “Instead, their reasoning challenges some of the basic principles of how people should be allowed to share information online, with implications which go far beyond just Facebook, which is why we have chosen to appeal.” The ICO this summer accused Facebook of failing to protect user data and failing to be transparent about how it shared information with third parties. The watchdog issued the social network with the maximum fine under old data protection laws for the alleged breaches. The ICO did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Musa Suleiman
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