Facebook users to find out if Cambridge Analytica accessed their information

By: CBS58 Staff

Posted: Apr 9, 2018 9:58 PM CDT

NOW: Facebook users to find out if Cambridge Analytica accessed their information

(CBS NEWS/CBS 58) -- Some Facebook users are starting to see new messages on their news feed. Monday the social network began rolling out new information to help users manage their privacy.

There are two new links at the top of Facebook users' feeds. One tells the user if their digital data may have fallen into the hands of Cambridge Analytica - the political consulting firm that was able to harvest information from 87 Million Facebook users.

"Facebook is showing that they are trying to make a lot of changes fast and trying to regain everyone's trust," said Bridget Carey, CNET Senior Editor.

CNET Senior Editor Bridget Carey says another new link lets users manage apps that they logged into with their Facebook account. In many cases these apps can read online activity. Now users can find out what information they're sharing.

"Going forward, apps that connect with Facebook can no longer see things like your religious views, your political preferences, your relationship status. It can't go really deep and even see the videos you like, or the fitness activity that you shared because of what you had on your fitness tracker," said Carey.

Tim Vertz with Vertz Marketing in Mequon, Wisconsin says people have been spending less time on Facebook. He says over the last few quarters, the time people have spent on Facebook has dipped slightly.

Vertz Marketing specializes in social media, and Vertz says Facebook was slow to realize how serious the Cambridge Analytica data use was.

"I think Facebook thought people were good and optimistic and they didn't realize how people were really manipulating the system in order to do negative things," said Vertz.

However, he believes Facebook's apology and steps be transparent with users are likely enough for users to trust Facebook again.

"I think they're certainly going in the right direction and they're not going to give this up. They're spending a lot of time. Everyone has to remember why they spend so much time on Facebook or any social platform - because it's fun, because it's entertaining," said Vertz.

The changes come as CEO Mark Zuckerberg gets ready to testify before Congress Tuesday.

"Advertisers are not going to be too happy with all these changes cause you and I may feel more protected with our information but a lot of groups have been dependent on going into Facebook and using all this data to hyper target you and what you're interested in to send you ads," said Carey.

Not all Facebook users will see the changes at once. The roll out will happen over time.