Data Backup Digest

The social media giant Facebook and its creator, Mark Zuckerberg, have faced tremendous fallout and scrutiny as a result of the Cambridge Analytica scandal that comprised the data of tens of millions of users. Making matters worse is the fact that the information – which was obtained through legal yet shady data collection processes – was potentially used to sway voters in the latest U.S. presidential election.

As big of an issue as this is, it's not the only thing that's threatening the future of Facebook.

Other Shady Apps

Cambridge Analytica gleaned its information from users through the use of an online survey and a downloadable app. Although this process is legal, and it was permitted by Facebook at the time of the incident, they have since banned the practice from their site altogether.

They're also removing shady and potentially hazardous apps from other publishers, too. CubeYou, a popular published of online quizzes, recently had their Facebook account suspended pending a full investigation from Facebook officials.

Government Intervention

Facebook is also facing a great deal of government scrutiny and the potential of government intervention in the way of new regulations or standards. Mark Zuckerberg already testified in front of a U.S. House committee and he has also been summoned by the British parliament. Officials want to determine if there was any wrongdoing on his behalf.

During his hearing with the U.S. House committee, Zuckerberg was quoted as saying: ''"It's clear now that we didn't do enough to prevent these tools from being used for harm as well. That goes for fake news, foreign interference in elections, and hate speech, as well as developers and data privacy. We didn't take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake. It was my mistake, and I'm sorry. I started Facebook, I run it, and I'm responsible for what happens here."''

Users are Deactivating Accounts

Many Facebook users have started deactivating their accounts as a result of the recent data breach. The movement is so popular that it includes its own hashtag: @DeleteFacebook. Some prominent celebrities and personalities have added extra momentum to the trend.

Advertisers are Leaving

Some advertisers are taking initiative and parting ways with Facebook before things take a turn for the worse. Mozilla, Sonos and Commerzbank have all cut ties with the social media giant following the recent news with Cambridge Analytica.

Roger McNamee, one of Facebook's earliest investors and an American investor, is actively campaigning against Facebook. Elon Musk, current CEO of SpaceX and product architect with Tesla, Inc., also removed his profiles from Facebook's platform.

Surviving the Fallout

Given Facebook's presence in the world of social media, they'll almost certainly survive the fallout – but we might see some significant changes and, as a result, less reliance on Facebook in the near future. Whether this fallout extends to other sites, like LinkedIn, is difficult to tell – but these next few weeks and months will be critical in shaping the future of Facebook and social media in general.