Cambridge Analytica

Facebook today agreed to pay $643K to Britain’s information commissioner’s office for its suspected failure to comply with UK data protection principles covering lawful processing of data and security.

The ICO in 2017 opened its investigation of FB allowing political data firm Cambridge Analytica to gain access to users’ data.

In settling with the ICO, FB admitted no wrongdoing.

Harry Kinmouth, FB’s associate general counsel, said the company wished it had done more to investigate claims about CA in 2015.

“Protecting people’s information and privacy is a top priority for FB, and we are continuing to build new controls to help people protect and manage their information,” he said in a statement.

Kinmouth said FB will continue to cooperate with the ICO’s wider and ongoing probe into the use of data analytics for political purposes.

James Dipple-Johnstone, ICO deputy commissioner, is pleased to hear that “FB has taken, and will continue to take, significant steps to comply with the fundamental principles of data protection.”

FB faces 11 privacy probes in Ireland.

Since FB’s regional headquarters is in Dublin, Ireland’s data protection commission is FB’s lead regulator for the privacy laws of the European Union.