Facebook Inc. has suspended Social Media Analytics firm Crimson Hexagon from using its platform, it announced Friday, saying it would look into whether the company’s work under contracts with Federal Agencies and a Contract with a Firm allegedly tied to the Russian Government Violate its User Data Policies.
Crimson Hexagon has been suspended from Facebook and Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, while Facebook looks into how the Analytics Company collects, stores, and shares User Data. Boston-based, it claims it maintains a Database of over 1 Trillion Social-Media Posts, including from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Reddit, and other Discussion Forums, Blogs, and other sources.
The Investigation will determine whether the Analytics firms' Contracts with the United States Government, a Russian Non-Profit Organization tied to the Kremlin and the Turkish Government, Violate the Platform's Policies. News of the Suspension comes after The Wall Street Journal queried Crimson Hexagon's Contracts. The Company put up a Blog post explaining some of its Data Collection Practices, which it says only include Public Data available to anyone on the Web. On Friday, however, the Company is fully Cooperating with Facebook and "working together to resolve the issue as quickly as possible". It is about the broader role and use of public online data in the modern world".
A Spokeswoman the Company referred questions to one of the Founder's Gary King and Chairman of the Company's Board, who said he "never had line authority or day-to-day involvement" in its Operations. He added: "We need to really take the oversight of these organisations seriously and they should not be at the table".
"We don't allow developers to build surveillance tools using information from Facebook or Instagram". said Chris Bingham, Chief Technology Officer, said in a Statement on the Analytics Firm's Website Friday. "The company does not collect private data, which distinguishes it from Cambridge Analytica.
Government entities that leverage the Crimson Hexagon platform do so for the same reasons as many of our other non-government customers: a broad-based and aggregate understanding of the public's perception, preferences and sentiment about matters of concern to them". Users of Crimson Hexagon's platform, which include government customers, analyze the data to understand large-scale consumer trends and preferences." he wrote.
In March 2017, Facebook Prohibited User Data being used for Government Surveillance following Pressure from Civil Liberties Groups concerned about the Targeting of Dissidents and Protesters. As well as Government work, Crimson Hexagon has had Deals with Commercial Companies including Adidas, Samsung, and the BBC.
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