Thread by @sarah_donaldson

#Facebook thread:
Ahead of Zuckerberg's Congress testimony, a quick revision guide.
All you need to know about Facebook (and why you should be concerned), brought to you by the Observer/Guardian's investigation into data and democracy...

Hard to believe it was less than a month ago that @carolecadwalla broke the story about GSR harvesting 50m+ Facebook profiles for @CamAnalytica to use in political campaigning:
Revealed: 50 million Facebook profiles harvested for Cambridge Analytica.. theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/…

Via the first major interview with @CamAnalytica whistleblower @chrisinsilico which explained Facebook had known about the leak for at least 18months and detailed Robert Mercer / Steve Bannon's central roles ‘I made Bannon’s psychological warfare tool’: theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/…

This story was the touchpaper to the Facebook firestorm. Developments have come thick and fast. Including: @PaulLewis and @juliacarriew on how Facebook employs psychologist who worked at GSR theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/…

's extraordinary undercover footage of Cambridge Analytica's Alexander Nix boasting of dirty tricks to swing elections theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/m…

and then bragging about of role in getting Donald Trump elected theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/m…

Turned out that Facebook had once given anonymised data about 57bn(!) friendships to GSR's Kogan theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/…

People started deleting their Facebook accounts, discovering on the way just what kind of data the site had logged about them.... theguardian.com/technology/201…

Facebook was accused of failing to tackle discrimination in housing ads (report by @juliacarriew) theguardian.com/technology/201…

Apple's Tim Cook rebuked #Zuckerberg over Facebook's business model: “I think that this certain situation is so dire and has become so large that probably some well-crafted regulation is necessary.” theguardian.com/technology/201…

.@alexhern reported that Facebook logged SMS texts and phone calls without explicitly notifying users theguardian.com/technology/201…

A leaked 2016 memo by a Facebook VP said that the site's actions were 'de facto good' – even if they led to deaths or helped terrorists plan attacks (reporter: @samtlevin) theguardian.com/technology/201…

An astonishing pieceby @iamdylancurran collated all the personal data about himself he found online
Are you ready? This is all the data Facebook and Google have on you | Dylan Curran theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

Facebook apologised for storing draft videos users thought they had deleted theguardian.com/technology/201…

Last week, Facebook said that the number of Facebook profiles Cambridge Analytica gained was likely 37m more than we all thought (that's 87m in total inc 1 millon UK profiles) theguardian.com/technology/201…

Myanmar groups criticised Zuckerberg's response to hate speech on Facebook theguardian.com/technology/201…

Facebook admitted it discussed sharing user data for medical research project theguardian.com/technology/201…

UK politics are directly involved too: Facebook suspended Vote Leave's Brexit campaign data firm AggregateIQ over alleged ties to Cambridge Analytica theguardian.com/us-news/2018/a…

...and Facebook is among 30 organisations under scrutiny in major UK political data inquiry theguardian.com/technology/201…

It was revealed that Facebook had a secret tool to delete executive messages from the inboxes of recipients. (leave no trace, right guys?) theguardian.com/technology/201…

Meanwhile, $bns have been wiped off Facebook share price. Zuckerberg? He's apologised, announced some new privacy controls, refused to testify to British MPs or speak to Observer/Guardian journos. But is going to speak before two congressional committees
theguardian.com/technology/201…

Is he ready for it? theguardian.com/technology/201…

And what will be in the #Zuckerbergtestimony Fascinating... but I doubt he will answer all (any?) of the vital 7 questions that the person whose 15 month investigation brought him there - @carolecadwalla - thinks he should theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

Remember everyone,

Move fast and break things...

😬

P.S. If you think this kind of independent journalism is worth funding, please visit the Guardian and Observer's supporter page. Thanks! support.theguardian.com/uk?CMP=ppc_mem…

Also HT to data / tech experts around the world who provided invaluable knowledge / input to Carole’s reporting. Inc @d1gi @podehaye @profcarroll @HNSGR @WendySiegelman