Facebook probes whether data firm violated policies

Facebook has suspended a Boston analytics firm from its site and says it is investigating whether the company’s contracts with the US government and a Russian non-profit violated policies, the Wall Street Journal reported, reports AFP from Washington.

The firm, Crimson Hexagon, says its platform allows clients—which include major US corporations—to analyze audiences and to track brand perception and campaign performance.

Citing people familiar with the business, the Journal said the government contracts of Crimson Hexagon, which pulls public data from Facebook, were not

approved by Facebook in advance.

Since 2014, US government agencies have paid Crimson Hexagon more than $800,000 for 22 contracts, the Journal said, citing government procurement data.

Crimson Hexagon has sold its proprietary analytics platform abroad, including to Turkey and Russia, where in 2014 it worked with a non-profit tied to the government, the Journal reported late Friday.

It said Crimson Hexagon appears at least once to have mistakenly received private data from Facebook’s Instagram service.

Facebook had requested further evidence from Crimson Hexagon but the Journal quoted a spokesman for the social network as saying that “based on our investigation to date, Crimson Hexagon did not obtain any Facebook or Instagram information inappropriately.”

 

Facebook probes whether data firm violated policies

Facebook has suspended a Boston analytics firm from its site and says it is investigating whether the companys contracts with the US government and a Russian non-profit violated policies, the Wall Street Journal reported, reports AFP from Washington. The firm, Crimson Hexagon, says its platform allows clientswhich include major US corporationsto analyze audiences and to track brand perception and campaign performance. Citing people familiar with the business, the Journal said the government contracts of Crimson Hexagon, which pulls public data from Facebook, were not approved by Facebook in advance. Since 2014, US government agencies have paid Crimson Hexagon more than $800,000 for 22 contracts, the Journal said, citing government procurement data. Crimson Hexagon has sold its proprietary analytics platform abroad, including to Turkey and Russia, where in 2014 it worked with a non-profit tied to the government, the Journal reported late Friday. It said Crimson Hexagon appears at least once to have mistakenly received private data from Facebooks Instagram service. Facebook had requested further evidence from Crimson Hexagon but the Journal quoted a spokesman for the social network as saying that based on our investigation to date, Crimson Hexagon did not obtain any Facebook or Instagram information inappropriately.