Page 24 - aruba-today-20180421

A24 TECHNOLOGY
Saturday 21 april 2018
Audit clears Facebook despite Cambridge Analytica leaks

By BARBARA ORTUTAY said 87 million) because
NEW YORK (AP) — An au- it was able to access the
dit of Facebook's privacy data of people's friends,
practices for the Federal and not just people who
Trade Commission found explicitly permitted access
no problems even though when they took a person-
the company knew at the ality quiz. While Facebook
time that a data-mining did have controls in place
firm improperly obtained that allowed people to re-
private data from millions strict such access, they are
of users — raising questions found buried in the site's
about the usefulness of settings and are difficult to
such audits. find.
Facebook agreed to out- Sen. Catherine Cortez
side audits every two years Masto, a Democrat from
as part of a 2011 settlement Nevada, said during last
with the FTC over its priva- week's hearing that in her
cy practices. It is not clear view, "these requirements
from the report whether were not met," because
the company informed user consent shouldn't
PricewaterhouseCoopers, have been buried in priva-
which performed the au- cy settings.
dit, of the Cambridge Ana- A graphic from the Cambridge Analytica website is displayed on a computer screen, Wednes- PwC disagreed.
lytica data grab that would day, April 18, 2018, in New York. "In our opinion, Facebook's
put Facebook in the cross- Associated Press privacy controls were oper-
hairs of Congress. ating with sufficient effec-
The heavily redacted au- The fact that PwC found be relied on to really pro- user per day. To put that in tiveness to provide reason-
dit by PricewaterhouseC- no issues raised red flags for tect consumers." context, Facebook could able assurance to protect
oopers is available on the privacy advocates. The 2011 consent decree theoretically owe $8 billion the privacy of covered
FTC's website. It covers Feb- "The FTC failed to protect bound Facebook to a 20- for one single day violation information and that the
ruary 12, 2015 to February the public," said Jeffrey year privacy commitment. affecting all of its American controls have so operated
11, 2017. Chester, executive direc- Any violations of that pact users, or about half of the throughout the Report-
PwC declined to com- tor of the nonprofit digital could cost the company profit that the company ing Period, in all material
ment, but Facebook said rights group Center for Digi- a ton of money. In his con- booked for all of last year. respects for the two years
Friday that keeping data tal Democracy. "Instead of gressional testimony last The agreement requires ended February 11, 2017,"
secure is a priority. conducting its own review week, Facebook CEO Mark that Facebook users give the report states.
"We remain strongly com- to enforce one of its most Zuckerberg appeared un- "affirmative express con- Facebook is also under a
mitted to protecting peo- important decisions— the informed about key details sent" any time that data separate investigation by
ple's information, said Rob consent decree —it looked of the agreement, saying they haven't made public the FTC because of the
Sherman, Facebook's dep- the other way, which al- he did not remember if it is shared with a third party. Cambridge Analytica scan-
uty chief privacy officer, in lowed Facebook to en- carried a financial penalty. Cambridge Analytica ac- dal. The agency is looking
a statement. "We appreci- gage in serious miscon- Any violations of the 2011 cessed information from so at whether Facebook has
ate the opportunity to an- duct." agreement could sub- many users (the firm puts engaged in "unfair acts"
swer questions the FTC may Chester said the audit ject Facebook to fines of the number at 30 million, that cause "substantial in-
have." shows that the "FTC cannot $41,484 per violation per although Facebook has jury" to consumers.q

Legendary scientist at lab that developed atomic bomb dies

LOS ALAMOS, N.M. (AP) — nothing but the clothes never been west of Detroit
Scientist Nerses “Krik” Kriko- on their backs, the family and made the long drive
rian, who was born a refu- moved around for the next to New Mexico in a 1936
gee and later became a four years and eventually Chevy convertible. He met
legend in the once-secret found their way to the Unit- his wife in Los Alamos.
New Mexico city where the ed States. In a memo to employees
atomic bomb was devel- Krikorian spoke little English this week, lab Director Terry
oped, has died. He was 97. when they first arrived but Wallace described Krikori-
Officials at Los Alamos went on to graduate with an as “a giant” in the world
National Laboratory con- honors from college with of national security science
firmed that Krikorian died a chemistry degree and and in the Los Alamos com-
Wednesday at his home in landed a job working in a munity. “He contributed
Los Alamos, the mountain lab that made highly en- enormously to the mission
town he had called home riched uranium. It wasn’t of the laboratory, and I can
for more than 70 years. until later that Krikorian say with confidence it’s a This undated photo provided by the Los Alamos National Labo-
Krikorian was born on a learned that work was part better place because of ratory shows Nerses “Krik” Krikorian. He was 97.
Turkish roadside in 1921 as of the top-secret Manhat- him,” Wallace said. “As we Associated Press
his parents were trying to tan Project. celebrate our 75 years as that will continue far into mos and J. Oppenheimer
flee the aftermath of the He later went to work di- a laboratory, few people the future.” The Los Alamos Memorial Committee and
mass killings of Armenians rectly for Los Alamos lab. have been more impactful Monitor reported that Kriko- helped with the creation of
by Ottoman Turks more He said in an interview for on our history than Krik. He rian also helped found the the original charter for Los
than a century ago. With a lab profile that he had leaves an enduring legacy United Church of Los Ala- Alamos County.q