Facebook suspends firm over concern of new data breach scandal

In what seems to be a new possible data breach scandal similar to Cambridge Analytica for Facebook, the social media site has suspended another data analytics firm.

Facebook has suspended a Boston-based analytics firm ‘Crimson Hexagon’ from both Facebook and Instagram after it openly claimed on its website that it can provide ‘instant access to over one trillion consumer conversations from social media, forums, blogs, reviews and more'. Facebook is  investigating the company’s data collection practices, reported the Wall Street Journal.

Facebook informed that though up till now it has not found any sort of evidence about the company obtaining Facebook or Instagram’s data, but it would continue looking into whether the company has violated any of its laws on how to collect, share and store user data.

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Facebook told Engadget, “We don’t allow developers to build surveillance tools using information from Facebook or Instagram. We take these allegations seriously, and we have suspended these apps while we investigate.”

The report informed that the firm has held contracts with brands including Samsung, Paramount Pictures, Twitter, GM, and Adidas and also with both US government agencies and a Russian nonprofit group to help monitor public sentiment.

Facebook informed that they were not aware of some of Crimson Hexagon’s contracts, but will suspend its apps as it investigates further. Facebook said Crimson Hexagon is cooperating with its investigation and that it plans to meet with the company’s staff in upcoming days.

“We are investigating the claims about Crimson Hexagon to see if they violated any of our policies. Facebook has a responsibility to help protect people’s information which is one of the reasons why we have tightened our APIs significantly over the last few years,” said Ime Archibong, Facebook’s VP of product partnerships.

This move comes in as Facebook continues to struggle with privacy concerns that were raised from the previous data breach scandal relating to the analytics firm Cambridge Analytica.