Following the Facebook data leak with Cambridge Analytica, Australia's privacy watchdog, the OAIC, has launched its own investigation into the misuse of private data.

The whistle blows loud

Following ex-Cambridge Analyitica employee Chris Whylie’s testimony of the leak, far surpassing 87 million users, Australia is keen on getting answers.

In a recent blog post, Facebook posted the international breakdown of leaked users being 300K from Australia, 600K from Canada, over a million from the UK, and the remainder US users.

Interestingly, the Philippines and Indonesia were the second and third highest groups to have accounts leaked with over a million each. A breakdown of complete numbers can be found here.

On the horizon

The OAIC has stated, “The investigation will consider whether Facebook has breached the Privacy Act 1988. Given the global nature of this matter, the OAIC will confer with regulatory authorities internationally.”

Meanwhile across the pond, Mark Zuckerberg is urging “the public to exercise a new level of care about their privacy and to take part in forming the future of Facebook in the country.”

These late comments have been heavily focused towards international users, though the warning feels more a lip service than protective measure.

At this stage, it is safe to assume that Australia won’t be the only nation performing its own investigation.

Do you think Facebook is handling events correctly? What has your experience been with the leak? We want to know what you think in our comment section below.