Philippines to probe Facebook data breach

It will determine if there was unauthorised processing of 1.2 million Filipino users' data

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has dismissed reports that he had help from Cambridge Analytica to win the elections in 2016, saying that he does not "even know what it is".
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has dismissed reports that he had help from Cambridge Analytica to win the elections in 2016, saying that he does not "even know what it is". PHOTO: REUTERS
New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

The Philippines will investigate reports that a British consulting firm at the centre of a data mining scandal linked to the 2016 United States presidential race harvested information on about 1.2 million Filipino Facebook users.

The aim is to "determine whether there is unauthorised processing of personal data of Filipinos and other possible violations of the Data Privacy Act of 2012", National Privacy Commission (NPC) head Raymund Liboro said in a letter to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 14, 2018, with the headline Philippines to probe Facebook data breach. Subscribe