United Kingdom regulators slapped Facebook with the maximum possible fine over this year’s Cambridge Analytica data privacy scandal, several outlets reported Tuesday. The Washington Post was among those reporting that Facebook would have to pay £500,000, or about $664,000, after data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica improperly obtained information about millions of users and used it in an effort to sway the 2016 US presidential election.
The UK Information Commissioner’s office found that Facebook lacked sufficient privacy protections and failed to catch warning signs that Cambridge Analytica was misusing people’s data, the Post reported. In addition to the US election, Cambridge Analytica also worked on the successful Brexit campaign, among other projects.
The announcement of the fine today is preliminary and could change based on further discussions between UK regulators and Facebook, the Post reported. Another update to the case is expected in October.
“As we have said before, we should have done more to investigate claims about Cambridge Analytica and take action in 2015,†Erin Egan, Facebook’s chief privacy officer, send in a statement. “We have been working closely with the ICO in their investigation of Cambridge Analytica, just as we have with authorities in the US and other countries. We’re reviewing the report and will respond to the ICO soon.â€
