Before Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg addresses two Congressional committees on Tuesday and Wednesday, he met with legislators today to apologize for the social network’s mistakes when handling its users’ private data. To help with its credibility, Facebook is letting users know if Cambridge Analytica collected their data. Here’s how to know if you were affected.
How to know if Cambridge Analytica collected your Facebook data
- Download the Facebook app
- Check your news feed
1. Download the Facebook app
The easiest way to check if your account information was obtained by Cambridge Analytica is through the social network’s mobile app. So if you don’t already have it downloaded, you can install the Facebook app from the Google Play Store for free on your Android handset.
2. Check your news feed
Next, make sure that you’re signed into your Facebook account and have access to your news feed. Starting today, the social network should have a new “Protecting Your Information” section above your news feed and the Stories section.
As you can see from the images below, you will see one of two different messages. One goes over the importance of protecting your data and provides a link to view which apps and websites have access to your account.
The second message is twice as long and lets you know if a friend of yours signed into the “This Is Your Digital Life” website. If they did this, this means Cambridge Analytica might have collected their information as well as yours.
If you’re worried about what information might be affected, you can tap on the “See How You’re Affected” button.
If you have any questions, make sure to leave them in the comment section below or hit me up on Twitter.
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