Klobuchar Demands Answers From Facebook On Cambridge Analytica
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Even in a public world, people are entitled to some privacy. Those rules can apply to Facebook, with users allowing the public to only know so much about them.
But the social media site admits Cambridge Analytica violated that right to privacy. A whistleblower from the analytics firm says it involved 50 million profiles of U.S. voters.
The company specializes in predicting people's voting habits based on their personality.
"It's definitely not ideal. I'd feel almost invaded in some ways," said Facebook user Lindsey Gonsior.
The news bothers Senator Amy Klobuchar.
"When they start messing with our democracy and a foreign country is trying to influence and get data from someone, that's a problem," Klobuchar said.
The senator feels Facebook can't police itself, and worries with another election looming other social media sites could also be targeted for a privacy leak.
It's partly why she's demanding Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg testify before a Senate Judiciary Committee regarding how the private information got out.
"I think that the CEO's have to take responsibility, come before us, and explain to us what exactly happened, what is the extent of the damage and how are you going to fix it so it doesn't happen again," Klobuchar said.
Sen. Klobuchar has introduced a bill called the Secure Elections Act, meant to prevent foreign influence on elections by improving cyber security. But she also wants social media sites to better regulate how they sell political ads.
"(Social media sites) have to follow the rules and we've got to put those rules in place," she said.
Minutes after our interview, Sen. Klobuchar was on her way to board a flight to Washington, D.C.. We're told the bills she co-wrote on election security on political ad sales on social media will be near the top of her list for discussion.
