New York-based CubeYou was using personality quizzes on Facebook to harvest user data for marketing purposes, despite stating its quizzes were for “nonprofit academic research that has no connection whatsoever to any commercial or profit-making purpose or entity,” reports CNBC. Facebook apparently had no knowledge of CubeYou’s tactics–which heavily echoed those of Cambridge Analytica–until CNBC brought it to their attention, suggesting the social media giant has little insight into just how its partners are harvesting and using the data of billions of its users.
Facebook’s defense to CNBC was that it cannot control information that companies mislabel. However, Facebook’s vice president of product partnerships, Ime Archibong, noted CNBC’s findings were being taken seriously: “These are serious claims and we have suspended CubeYou from Facebook while we investigate them. If they refuse or fail our audit, their apps will be banned from Facebook.”
Recognize your brand’s excellence by applying to this year’s Brands That Matter Awards before the early-rate deadline, May 3.
