Prime Minister Theresa May and EU justice commissioner Vera Jourova have added their voices to concerns raised over Facebook鈥檚 treatment of personal data as shares in the social media giant plummeted.
Facebook and Cambridge Analytica have been accused of misleading MPs after reports claimed the US data firm harvested data from more than 50 million social media profiles without consent.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister backed the decision of Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham to investigate Cambridge Analytica over an alleged data breach, which you can read all about here.
鈥淭he allegations are clearly very concerning,鈥� a spokesman said. 鈥淚t is essential that people can have confidence that their personal data will be protected and used in an appropriate way.
鈥淪o it is absolutely right that the Information Commissioner is investigating this matter. We expect Facebook, Cambridge Analytica and all the organisations involved to cooperate fully.鈥�
Jourova said she plans to discuss the matter with Facebook and the US government on a planned visit to the United States this week.
鈥淔rom a European Union perspective, the misuse for political purposes of personal data belonging to Facebook users 鈥� if confirmed 鈥� is not acceptable,鈥� the European Commission said in a statement.
Antonio Tajani, the head of the European Parliament, urged Facebook to take more responsibility.
He wrote on Twitter: 鈥淎llegations of misuse of Facebook user data is an unacceptable violation of our citizens鈥� privacy rights.鈥�
Facebook shares fell four per cent in pre-market trading on Monday, Reuters reported. Compared with the market鈥檚 close on Friday, that would knock $21.5 billion (拢15.3bn) off its value of $538bn.