Building Trust 23 March 2018

Sorry just isn’t Enough. Businesses Must Do Better When It Comes To People’s Data.

The Internet Society is disappointed, but not surprised, at the news of the Facebook/Cambridge Analytica revelations. This incident is simply the natural outcome of today’s data driven economy that puts businesses and others first, not users.

Mark Zuckerberg’s apology is a first step, but it’s not enough. The seriousness of the revelations call for more than mere apologies. Change is needed.

Society needs higher standards for transparency and ethics when it comes to the handling of our information. Anyone who collects data must be accountable to their users and to society. As we have seen this week, data abuse and mishandling can have grave consequences for both individuals and society.

The Internet Society is deeply committed to an Internet that is trusted by its users. In a connected world, everyone is affected by everybody else’s actions. Incidents like this contribute to an overall climate of declining trust in the Internet and threaten its economic value.

Businesses must do better. 


For more information on Internet Society perspectives:

Related resources

Building Trust 11 November 2019

Internet Society Deeply Concerned about Interim Injunction Ordered by Hong Kong High Court

The Internet Society and the Internet Society Hong Kong Chapter are deeply concerned about the recent interim injunction (High...

Encryption 30 May 2019

Internet Society Signs Open Letter Opposing GCHQ Ghost Proposal For Weakening Encrypted Communications

In late 2018, The British Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) published an essay on Lawfare outlining its principles for “exceptional”...

Improving Technical Security 12 November 2018

Internet Society Media Statement on Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace Declaration

The Internet Society is one of the signatories of the Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace. The...