Facebook temporarily suspends another data analytics firm

Facebook has temporarily suspended the data analytics firm CubeYou for data-sharing techniques similar to those used by Cambridge Analytica, CNBC reported on Sunday.

The firm had said that the quizzes it used to generate data it sold to marketers were for “non-profit academic research.”

The announced suspension comes after CNBC notified Facebook of CubeYou’s collection of information through its data quizzes.

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In its reporting, CNBC suggested that CubeYou’s ability to mislabel the intended purpose of the collected data, and Facebook’s lack of action until the issue was pointed out, show that the social media platform has “little control over this activity.”

Facebook countered these implications and told CNBC that it is unable to control information that companies mislabeled.

Nonetheless, the social media giant said it had temporarily suspended the company.

“These are serious claims and we have suspended CubeYou from Facebook while we investigate them,” Ime Archibong, Facebook vice president of product partnerships, said in a statement.

Facebook added that if the company refuses or fails its audit, its apps will be banned from Facebook.

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s CEO, is set to testify before Congress this week on the recent Cambridge Analytica scandal and privacy concerns regarding Facebook.

Last month, it was revealed that Cambridge Analytica had improperly obtained the private Facebook data of 50 million users. Recently, Facebook said that 87 million people could have been affected by the firm’s actions.

Updated: 7:52 p.m.