The social media network Facebook, on Tuesday (June 5), was urged by the Senate Commerce Committee to clarify whether or not any user data was compromised and was then given to device manufacturers, according to a report by Reuters.
Mark Zuckerberg has already faced legislators in a two-day inquiry following the publicity of the data privacy issue with Cambridge Analytica. Zuckerberg and his social media empire only benefitted from the panel, after the group's shares went up by billions after its founder and CEO was grilled.
Legislators urged Zuckerberg to reveal whether information was disclosed to at least 60 device manufacturers, according to Reuters.
Facebook has a lot of affiliations with device makers such as Apple and Samsung. These makers enjoy device-sharing agreements with the platform, a partner agreement perk which reports claimed has winded down since April.
Since the inquiry in April, the social media giant, which also owns photo-sharing platform Instagram, has been updating its internal policies to ensure users' privacy are protected.
Facebook vs legislators
The social media platform should be receiving the letter penned by Republican and Democrat senators John Thune and Bill Nelson. The letter was written after a New York Times report earlier revealed that the platform gave device manufacturers deep access to data.
Facebook, according to the report, has entered into an agreement with device manufacturers to share access to vast data sources from users in a bid to become the world's most dominant social media platform.
The letter seeks to find out if Facebook audited affiliations with manufacturers under the consent order with the Federal Trade Commission. The senators also asked whether or not Zuckerberg plans to alter his testimony given in April. The tech giant, on the other hand, firmly said it is open to answering all queries the committee might have.
Data policies
On its data policy page, the platform said "partners" receive user data when consumers visit or use their services or through third parties. The platform said it requires all partners to have lawful rights to collect, use, and share data before information is shared with them.
When it comes to devices, the platform said it collects information from computers, phones, and other online gadgets. Gathered data was then used to provide more "personalized contents," such as in ads.
