Comedian Will Ferrell, Playboy Magazine Deleting Facebook Accounts In Wake Of Cambridge Analytica Scandal
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - His site is called "Funny or Die," and it seems comedian Will Ferrell thinks Facebook's Cambridge Analytica scandal is not funny.
Ferrell is deleting his Facebook account.
Cambridge Analytica is a firm that worked with Donald Trump's presidential campaign in 2016. A whistleblower says it used personal data from an estimated 50 million Facebook users.
Ferrell posted on Facebook:
Hi Friends,
I'm reaching out to let you know that in 72 hours I will be deleting my Facebook account. I am not deleting it immediately, in order to give this message enough time to get across to my fans and followers.
I have always had an aversion to social media and have primarily used it as a tool to help support our work at Funny Or Die, some of my personal projects, as well as charity causes that I am passionate about. Facebook allowed me to promote and share the work of many dedicated and talented individuals who deserved recognition.
I know I am not alone when I say that I was very disturbed to hear about Cambridge Analytica's misuse of millions of Facebook users' information in order to undermine our democracy and infringe on our citizens' privacy. I was further appalled to learn that Facebook's reaction to such a violation was to suspend the account of the Cambridge Analytica whistleblower.
In this day and age, with misinformation running rampant, it's important that we protect the truth, as well as those who work to bring it to light. I can no longer, in good conscience, use the services of a company that allowed the spread of propaganda and directly aimed it at those most vulnerable.
I love my fans and hope to further interact with them through my comedy via the mediums of film and television.
-Will Ferrell
Ferrell is the latest celebrity to delete his account. Tesla's Elon Musk and Cher have also deleted their accounts. Musk said the site "gives me the willies."
Playboy Magazine also said it was deleting its account.
"There are more than 25 million fans who engage with Playboy via our various Facebook pages, and we do not want to be complicit in exposing them to the reported practices," the magazine said in a statement.
Last week, authorities in the United Kingdom raided Cambridge Analytica's London headquarters, and the Federal Trade Commission opened an investigation.
Facing mounting pressure, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly likely to testify on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers want to hear from him on what he and the site knew about the firm's practices.
On Wednesday, Facebook announced new steps to increase privacy. The company says it will make its privacy controls easier to find and operate. Instead of being spread across nearly 20 different screens, all privacy settings will soon appear on the same page.
Facebook also says it is taking steps to inform users about exactly what information can and can not be shared with apps.
Since the scandal broke, the company's stock has tumbled, wiping out more than $100 billion in market value.
