Cambridge Analytica Bankrupt: What Company Is Next on the Firing Line?
May 18, 2018
Cambridge Analytica has declared bankruptcy. What outfit is next to be pushed to center stage?
Facebook? Perhaps. The founder of Facebook has an opportunity to answer questions before England’s law makers soon. Very soon.
And Google?
Google could be in very hot water if a recent court filing is any indication. While it is not a shocker to know that YouTube and its parent Google are collecting data on users’ habits, it is a little unnerving to know that this extends to our children. We learned more from a recent AP News Archive story, “Child Advocates Ask FTC to Investigate YouTube.”
According to the story, the complaint points out that YouTube is targeting users under the age of 13 with their advertisements. The article points out that this is not much different from advertisers on a television cartoon series, except on difference.
“YouTube does so with a lot of data collection. Its business model relies on tracking IP addresses, search history, device identifiers, location and other personal data about its users so that it can gauge their interests and tailor advertising to them. But a 1998 federal law prohibits internet companies from knowingly collecting personal data from kids under 13 without their parents’ consent.”
Those are some interesting allegations. We don’t expect the heat to be turned down anytime soon. In fact, allegations involving actions which increase risks for children are hot potatoes.
Some critics are already saying the search giant’s data collection practices are more invasive than current public enemy number one, Facebook. Will a former Googler follow in Christopher Wylie’s colorful footsteps? Will a “real” news organization do a bit of old school investigative journalism? Will a savvy lawyer team with alleged “victims” and head for the US TV news outlets?
Interesting to watch.
Stephen E Arnold, May 18, 2018
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