Overview
Cambridge Analytica was a British political consulting firm that harvested Facebook user data through a third-party personality quiz app, affecting approximately 87 million profiles. The 2018 scandal became a landmark case in platform privacy accountability and political microtargeting.
Key Events
- 2013-2016: Data harvested via “thisisyourdigitallife” app; sold for targeted political advertising in 2016 US election
- 2018: Public scandal; Meta (Facebook) promised audits, developer bans, and user notifications
- 2026-09-25: New Mexico jury found Meta liable for 18.1M+ violations tied to post-scandal misrepresentations (2026-09-26-facebook-cambridge-analytica-jury-verdict)