Brown article analyzes Cambridge Analytica scandal’s impact on Facebook
An article by doctoral student Allison Brown analyzes Facebook users’ reactions to the 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal.
“‘Should I Stay or Should I Leave?’: Exploring (Dis)continued Facebook Use After the Cambridge Analytica Scandal,” appears in Social Media + Society. Brown conducted in-depth interviews with 10 Facebook users about the revelation that Cambridge Analytica acquired psychographic data for Facebook users and used that data to target ads for the November 2016 U.S. election.
Although respondents said they were concerned about their privacy, they generally said they believe that social media use requires sacrificing some personal data. None of the respondents left Facebook as a result of the incident, though some reported reduced usage.