Making Sense of the Facebook – Cambridge Analytica Saga

We’ve had our eye on Cambridge Analytica since we learned about their role in the 2016 Trump campaign, so it didn't surprise us to see another shoe drop. The latest news is a complex tale of modern political campaign strategy, corporate governance and crisis management.

As Max Read argues in an incisive New York Magazine piece: "Facebook was being used as it's designed, and that's the problem." Facebook made it remarkably easy to obtain information about its users, who have limited knowledge of what is happening. And both companies have been less than forthcoming with the public and the government amid concerns about Russian interference and fake news. Their lack of leadership and transparency are only making issues for their companies' worse.

We would add that this controversy is but a lens to understand Facebook's mixed impact on American politics and culture. On one hand, Facebook levels the communications playing field for grassroots candidates like LaToya Cantrell, the new mayor of New Orleans. On the other hand, Facebook's business model depends on gathering data about its users. Can the company continue to serve as a resource for above-board uses and protect users' information at the same time?