Tech

Facebook: 'The entire company is outraged we were deceived' by Cambridge Analytica

Key Points
  • Facebook released a statement Tuesday addressing allegations that data from 50 million accounts was allegedly deceptively used by a political data firm called Cambridge Analytica.
  • "The entire company is outraged we were deceived. We are committed to vigorously enforcing our policies," the company said.
David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Facebook released a statement Tuesday saying "the entire company is outraged" that data from 50 million accounts was allegedly deceptively used by political data firm Cambridge Analytica.

Although CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg have yet to speak publicly about the allegations, the social media company is expected to share more in briefs with congressional committees this week.

Here's the full statement.

"Mark, Sheryl and their teams are working around the clock to get all the facts and take the appropriate action moving forward, because they understand the seriousness of this issue. The entire company is outraged we were deceived. We are committed to vigorously enforcing our policies to protect people's information and will take whatever steps are required to see that this happens."

It's not the first public response Facebook has made to the allegations.

On Monday night, the social media company's vice president of marketing, Carolyn Everson, said at a New York City conference that the alleged behavior was "an incredible violation of everything that we stand for."

Former employees of Cambridge Analytica — a firm publicly associated with President Donald Trump's campaign — said that Cambridge gathered private social media activity without users' permission. According to The New York Times, the firm paid to acquire the personal information through someone claiming to be an academic researcher.

Cambridge Analytica has said those allegations are "false," and has denied further allegations in other reports. Cambridge Analytica's board said Tuesday it had suspended CEO Alexander Nix.