Listen Up – Here’s How Facebook Could Owe Irish Users Nearly €15k

It has been revealed by The Irish Sun that 45,000 Irish Facebook users may have their personal details shared with Cambridge Analytica.

Just over 15 Facebook users downloaded the personality quiz ‘thisisyourdigitallife’ that gathered the info in Ireland but it is believed that as a result up to 44,687 users may have been Facebook friends with those who downloaded it and may have had their data collected as a result.

The app was created at University of Cambridge and appeared to be a personality test but actually stored personal information of Facebook users and their friends online. 

Solicitor Fred Logue said that the Irish Data Protection Commissioner needs to investigate the matter in full now. 

“I would expect the Data Protection Commissioner to step in and look at it. They really need to investigate it now given the scale of it and what we know.”

However, Professor of Law, Maureen Mapp believes that anyone who has had their data breached, could be entitled to thousands in compensation.

According to Money Control, experts across the world are coming up with claims of compensation for those who were affected by the data breach.

While some experts are stating that only a couple of hundred euro would be on offer, Mapp believes the cost could be in the thousands. 

“Assuming each one of them brought a claim for compensation for distress caused by the data breach…each individual may be awarded £12,500 (€14,300) as damages.”

How to know if you were part of the data breach?

On April 9th, Facebook will give users a link at the top of their News Feed. Clicking on that link will let you see a comprehensive breakdown of which third party apps you’re using or have used and what, if any, information has been shared with those apps. 

Using this link also, you will be able to find out if your information was shared with the Cambridge study, whether you downloaded the app or had a friend who did.  

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