Facebook's Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg said that the company was aware of Cambridge Analytica's harvesting of the personal profiles of up to 87 million users and they cannot overrule the possibility of another breach of users' data.
“We're doing an investigation, we're going to do audits and yes, we think it's possible, that's why we're doing the audit,” Sandberg told during an interview to NBC's "Today Show."
Sandberg has given her first interview since Facebook founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg, has admitted that 87 million users data have been harvested by Cambridge Analytica, the data firm that worked with the Trump campaign during the 2016 election.
"We know that we did not do enough to protect people's data," Sandberg told NPR. "I'm really sorry for that. Mark (Zuckerberg) is really sorry for that, and what we're doing now is taking really firm action."
"Safety and security are never done, it's an arms race," she said. "You build something, someone tries to abuse it."
"We did not think enough about the abuse cases and now we're taking really firm steps across the board."
Sandberg clarrified on the allegations that Facebook sells or give away user data to advertisers, she said that the company doesn't sell any data, but they allow companies to personalize service.
She admitted that the company got to know about Cambridge Analytica’s breach about two-and-a-half years ago, but they failed to take enough security steps afterward to assure the data was secure.
“We thought the data had been deleted and we should have checked. They gave us assurances and it wasn't until other people told us it wasn't true,” she said. “We had legal assurances from them that they deleted it. What we didn't do is the next step of an audit and we're trying to do that now.”
Sandberg and Zuckerberg have taken ownership of the crisis.
“I run this place with Mark, and I take responsibility for the operational weaknesses we have, for the things we didn't do and we didn't do soon enough,” she said.
“We're doing an investigation, we're going to do audits and yes, we think it's possible, that's why we're doing the audit,” Sandberg told during an interview to NBC's "Today Show."
Sandberg has given her first interview since Facebook founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg, has admitted that 87 million users data have been harvested by Cambridge Analytica, the data firm that worked with the Trump campaign during the 2016 election.
"We know that we did not do enough to protect people's data," Sandberg told NPR. "I'm really sorry for that. Mark (Zuckerberg) is really sorry for that, and what we're doing now is taking really firm action."
"Safety and security are never done, it's an arms race," she said. "You build something, someone tries to abuse it."
"We did not think enough about the abuse cases and now we're taking really firm steps across the board."
Sandberg clarrified on the allegations that Facebook sells or give away user data to advertisers, she said that the company doesn't sell any data, but they allow companies to personalize service.
She admitted that the company got to know about Cambridge Analytica’s breach about two-and-a-half years ago, but they failed to take enough security steps afterward to assure the data was secure.
“We thought the data had been deleted and we should have checked. They gave us assurances and it wasn't until other people told us it wasn't true,” she said. “We had legal assurances from them that they deleted it. What we didn't do is the next step of an audit and we're trying to do that now.”
Sandberg and Zuckerberg have taken ownership of the crisis.
“I run this place with Mark, and I take responsibility for the operational weaknesses we have, for the things we didn't do and we didn't do soon enough,” she said.