Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on the day's biggest business stories
Subscribe to Axios Closer for insights into the day’s business news and trends and why they matter
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Mark Zuckerberg weighed in on what he called the "Cambridge Analytica situation" today in a Facebook post, saying there was a "a breach of trust between Facebook and the people who share their data with us and expect us to protect it. We need to fix that."
Why it matters: Facebook has been under extraordinary pressure from lawmakers, regulators and Wall Street to respond to the issue.
"We have a responsibility to protect your data, and if we can't then we don't deserve to serve you. I've been working to understand exactly what happened and how to make sure this doesn't happen again. The good news is that the most important actions to prevent this from happening again today we have already taken years ago. But we also made mistakes, there's more to do, and we need to step up and do it."— Zuckerberg
Facebook also announced concrete actions in a separate post. It will:
- Notify users if it knows an app has been misusing data. "Moving forward, if we remove an app for misusing data, we will tell everyone who used it."
- Turn off access for unused apps. "If someone hasn’t used an app within the last three months, we will turn off the app’s access to their information."
- Limit the amount of data given to those that use Facebook Login, its authentication platform
- Go back and review pre-2014 apps that, like the one at the center of this scandal, had access to wide swaths of data including information not just by those using the apps, but also their friends. "We will conduct a full audit of any app with suspicious activity. If we find developers that misused personally identifiable information, we will ban them from our platform."
But there is a ton that wasn't said in either post, including his response to criticisms over how long Facebook took to disclose what it knew in this case as well as the many calls for new regulations and for company executives to testify.
Sandberg too: Also breaking her silence was Sheryl Sandberg, who shared Zuckerberg's post and adding "You deserve to have your information protected - and we'll keep working to make sure you feel safe on Facebook. Your trust is at the core of our service. We know that and we will work to earn it."
Initial reactions: Shares of Facebook inched up after the post, though many on Twitter noted how modest the specific changes being are. Meanwhile, Sen. Ed Markey replied to Zuckerberg, saying "You need to come to Congress and testify to this under oath."
But, but, but: What Zuckerberg didn't say in his note.
What's next: Zuckerberg is set to appear on CNN tonight.