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Facebook Suspends CubeYou for Cambridge Analytica-Type Tactics

Facebook confirmed it is investigating the developer's activities after being alerted by CNBC that it was gathering information about users to share with marketers.

Angela Moscaritolo
 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

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Facebook has suspended a developer called CubeYou, associated with the University of Cambridge Psychometrics Centre, for allegedly engaging in Cambridge Analytica-style data collection tactics.

The data in question was collected by researchers at the school then sold to marketers, according to CNBC.

"CubeYou misleadingly labeled its quizzes 'for non-profit academic research'" CNBC reported on Sunday, adding that the revelation "suggests that collecting data from quizzes and using it for marketing purposes was far from an isolated incident."

In a statement to PCMag, Facebook confirmed it is investigating CubeYou's activities after being alerted by CNBC that it was gathering information about users to share with marketers, similar to how Cambridge Analytica received the data of some 87 million people and used it to build profiles on potential voters for use in political campaigns.

"These are serious claims and we have suspended CubeYou from Facebook while we investigate them," Facebook Vice President of Product Partnerships Ime Archibong said in a statement. "If they refuse or fail our audit, their apps will be banned from Facebook."

Archibong went on to say that Facebook plans to "work with the UK ICO [Information Commissioner's Office] to ask the University of Cambridge about the development of apps in general by its Psychometrics Centre given this case and the misuse by Kogan." Aleksandr Kogan is the Cambridge University researcher and developer of the personality test app at the center of the Cambridge Analytica data leak.

"We want to thank CNBC for bringing this case to our attention," Archibong said.

Meanwhile, Kogan has suggested that this type of activity is commonplace.

"What was communicated to me strongly is that thousands and maybe tens of thousands of apps were doing the exact same thing. And this was a pretty normal use case of Facebook data," Kogan told BBC Radio 4's Today last month, according to The Guardian.

The CubeYou discovery comes as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg prepares to testify before Congress this week about the Cambridge Analytica data leak. The social network promised to start adding a link to the top of News Feeds, starting today, that will let you know if your information was improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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