Firefox maker Mozilla to stop Facebook advertising because of data scandal

Mozilla, the makers of the popular Firefox web browser, said it will stop advertising on Facebook following a data scandal impacting tens of millions of users.

In a statement published to its website, Mozilla raised concerns Facebook's default privacy settings are not strong enough to protect from third parties.

"When Facebook takes stronger action in how it shares , specifically strengthening its default privacy settings for third party apps, we'll consider returning," wrote Mozilla.

Following revelations about political firm Cambridge Analytica gaining access to Facebook profile information on tens of millions of users improperly, Mozilla said it took an independent look at Facebook's default privacy settings. It found the settings "leave access open to a lot of data—particularly with respect to settings for third party apps."

Pressure from lawmakers and critics is mounting for Facebook seeking answers for how Cambridge Analytica obtained the data and why it took Facebook so long to disclose the misuse.

On Wednesday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg broke his silence on the scandal, writing in a post on Facebook the company needs to fix the "breach of trust" of its users.

In a series of subsequent interviews with multiple outlets, Zuckerberg said he would be willing to testify before Congress.

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Citation: Firefox maker Mozilla to stop Facebook advertising because of data scandal (2018, March 23) retrieved 26 April 2024 from https://phys.org/news/2018-03-firefox-maker-mozilla-facebook-advertising.html
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