Observed Signal · Jan 22, 2021 · Regulation · Source: OnlineMarketing.de · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Negative
Facebook Sues Two Firms for Data Scraping
Facebook has filed two lawsuits in the United States against two companies accused of illegal data scraping. The firms allegedly used browser extensions named UpVoice and Ads Feed to harvest user data from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Amazon in order to sell “marketing intelligence” and other services. When users installed the extensions and visited Facebook properties, automated programs reportedly scraped names, user IDs, genders, dates of birth, relationship statuses, location data and other account details. The action frames the operation as an international data-harvesting scheme, with Cambridge Analytica cited as a historical example of data misuse. It is not yet clear whether the cases will proceed to trial, and no defendants were named in the report. The lawsuits highlight ongoing concerns about privacy, data collection, and regulator scrutiny in the social-media and advertising ecosystems.
Lawsuits against data scraping raise privacy/regulatory concerns in AdTech.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Facebook filed two lawsuits in the United States against two companies accused of data scraping.
- The firms allegedly used browser extensions UpVoice and Ads Feed to harvest user data.
- Data scraped included name, user ID, gender, date of birth, relationship status, and location.
- Platforms affected included Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Amazon.
- Cambridge Analytica is referenced as a historical example of data misuse.
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US suspends Microsoft, Adobe from green card labor program
The Trump administration has suspended Microsoft, Adobe, and six other major tech firms—Capgemini, Cognizant, HCL, Infosys, Tata, and Wipro—from the U.S. Permanent Labor Certification program, which facilitates green cards for skilled foreign workers. Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling cited active federal investigations and alleged fraud, noting that no new or pending applications from these companies will be accepted. Vice President JD Vance accused Microsoft of replacing laid-off workers with H-1B visa holders. Microsoft defended its practices, stating that most U.S. employees are American and that 80% of its H-1B petitions were for existing employees. The announcement was made during a White House summit on H-1B fraud, and the administration also plans to investigate nine universities, including Harvard, Yale, and Stanford, over student visa program abuse.
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Amazon launches pricier Alexa tablets, discontinues Fire line
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