Tech firms other than Facebook could also have similar data problems, says top EU chief

Facebook , the world’s most famous social network, has been under pressure following the data breach scandal. But other tech giants could also have the same problem with data protection issues, said European Commissioner Vera Jourova on Friday.

"I don't have doubts that there are some bad practices among other IT providers and networks. So what I have said about GDPR (the EU's general data protection rule) and our serious intention to have the data of all people protected, it applies to everybody, it's not only related to Facebook ,"Jourova told CNBC.

Facebook ’s founder Mark Zuckerberg just wrapped up a two-day hearing at the U.S Congress. The young billionaire had to answer around 100 questions from the Congress member about the data leakage affecting 87 million users worldwide.

The social network’s users reacted angrily after around 50 million Facebook users in the U.S had their data harvested without their knowledge by a Trump-linked data firm Cambridge Analytica ( CA ) for the political purpose ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

The scandal was revealed by former CA head of research Christopher Wylie. He said that the London-based firm played a role in Brexit referendum.

GPDR: A brief fact

The data breach scandal that affected a million users prompted the European Union (EU) to issue The European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The law boosts data protection for EU residents and anyone using EU services. The regulation comes into effect in May 2018 as a replacement for the data protection directive from 1995.

This regulation prioritizes transparency that ensures data subjects are being informed about how their personal information is being used. Data subjects must be told about the contact person with regards to the data owners processing action.

Also, data breach must be reported within 72 hours. The maximum sanction for any data leakage stipulated in GDPR is 20,000,000 Euro or up to 4 percent of your annual turnover.

The U.K will also comply with the procedure following the report that CA played a role in a Brexit referendum in 2016.

Zuckerberg should answer questions from Europe

Juorova also urged Zuckerberg to come to Europe as European lawmakers have lots of questions that the 33-year-old CEO needs to explain.

Zuckerberg on Wednesday vowed to extend data protections covered by GDPR internationally. The promise, however, will not satisfy Europe. Therefore, Zuckerberg must visit Europe to provide details about the data scandal.

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