Facebook suspends 200 apps from the platform in post-Cambridge Analytica purge

Facebook has so far suspended at least 200 apps as the investigation into data misuse following the Cambridge Analytica scandal begins.

In the first round of investigations, the company has reviewed thousands of apps that had access to large amounts of data, 200 of which were suspended, awaiting another investigation to find out whether they actually abused the data.

Vice president of product partnerships for Facebook Ime Archibong said: “There is a lot more work to be done to find all the apps that may have misused people’s Facebook data – and it will take time. We are investing heavily to make sure this investigation is as thorough and timely as possible.”

Read more: Cambridge Analytica bosses cannot “run and hide” despite closure

On 21 March, Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg released a statement in which he outlined the company’s plan of action to tackle the data protection problem that came with the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

He pledged that every app receiving information from Facebook would be audited and that all the apps that either refused or failed the audit would be permanently banned .

In the statement he said: “We have a responsibility to protect your data, and if we can’t then we don’t deserve to serve you … I started Facebook, and at the end of the day I’m responsible for what happens on our platform.”

“I’m serious about doing what it takes to protect our community. While this specific issue involving Cambridge Analytica should no longer happen with new apps today, that doesn’t change what happened in the past. We will learn from this experience to secure our platform further ans make our community safer fro everyone going forward,” he continued.

Read more: Cambridge Analytica shuts down in wake of Facebook data scandal