The scandal regarding Facebook's alleged misuse of personal data is turning into a blame game. While everyone agrees what happened was wrong, even if legal, the guilty parties are turning on each other in an attempt to mitigate the public backlash against themselves.

Cambridge Analytica is blamed by Facebook for acquiring the vast amount of personal data that was then used in campaign research during the United States presidential election. In return, Cambridge Analytica says it was Facebook's own policies that led to the vast collection and selling of personal data.

To put it bluntly, Facebook built the platform and set the rules. Developers and advertisers were only following them.

Alex Kogan, the researcher behind the data collection efforts at Cambridge Analytica, told CBS' '60 Minutes' that he believes Facebook is just trying to use his company as a distraction from their own failures.

Everyday practice

Kogan's primary complaint with Facebook is their terms of use. For developers, there are certain rules and guidelines that they must follow when submitting apps to the Facebook platform. He contends that he did not break any rules set forth by the tech giant.

Kogan's app was a simple personality test. To agree to use the app, users had to consent to allowing the developer access to their Facebook information.

Details regarding their age, race, gender, location, preferences, political leanings, etc. were all fair game to be collected by the app developers.

From there, Kogan sold the information to Cambridge Analytica to be used in political research.

There was absolutely no rules from Facebook prohibiting this practice.

As such, Kogan believes there are hundreds, if not thousands of developers who did exactly the same thing in one manner or another.

He estimates that one way or another, every Facebook user has had at least some of their personal information sold to a third party.

Where is this heading?

Kogan will be testifying himself in front of Congress soon to share his insight and concerns regarding the scandal. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has already visited Congress, and it did little to put out the fire.

A platform like Facebook has as much potential to be used for good as it does for evil. It is unclear how much of an effect, good or bad, that it has had on the country. Many point to it as the main catalyst that helped Donald Trump win the election.

The site, once built to rate girls on Zuckerberg's college campus, has evolved into something entirely different. Advertised as a marketers dream, Facebook is well aware where their bills are paid.

Their ability to micro target potential customers is invaluable to retailers and other businesses. Allow those businesses to walk away with the information that Facebook collects is alarming as the potential for misuse multiplies.

Without proper regulation, this rampant abuse will continue.
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