In the past, Facebook Inc. faced a probe by the UK’s authority for data-protection due to a study that revealed a psychological experiment manipulating what users saw on their news feeds. This incident reopened discussions about privacy.
Back in 2014, Facebook was forced to publicly apologize for a test carried out in 2012. This test altered the amount of positive and negative comments that approximately 700,000 users viewed on their feeds containing articles and photos. The disclosure of this experiment resulted in disgruntled members expressing their outrage on Twitter, accomplishing a perception of privacy violation.
The question concerning the legality of whether Facebook was obligated to inform its users about such an experiment and the purpose behind this data collection later became a matter of interest to regulators, as indicated by Paul Van den Bulck, a legal representative at McGuireWoods LLP.
The UK Information Commissioner’s Office, ICO, subsequently announced that it intended to confer with Facebook and consult with the Irish Data Protection Commissioner, Facebook’s principal regulatory authority in Europe, to grasp the situation in a better way.
The Irish regulatory body, in charge of overseeing Facebook’s adherence to EU privacy law, confirmed addressing privacy concerns related to the experiment with Facebook and was awaiting a detailed report.
Facebook then admitted to “poor communication” regarding the experiment, a point noted by Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg. She confessed this at an event in New Delhi where she was promoting her book “Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead.”
The ICO’s investigation was initially reported by The Financial Times and was directed towards examining whether Facebook had breached data protection laws. However, the exact laws potentially violated were yet to be confirmed.
The controversial study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in June 2014, explored how altering positive and negative comments on the news feeds of users impacted their emotional reactions and subsequent posting behaviours.
The data of the study showed that online messages could sway readers’ emotions and, in turn, possibly their offline behavior, according to the study’s researchers.
Facebook emphasized, back in 2014, that the data utilized for the study wasn’t associated with a user’s specific account. The research aimed to maintain relevant and engaging content and part of this effort involved understanding how users respond to different types of content, as declared by the company.
Be it as it may, Facebook has always stated that it carefully considers its research projects and holds strong internal review procedures. The company ensures that any unnecessary data collection is avoided within its research programs and data is securely stored.
This article was updated in 2025 to reflect current trends and insights.
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Paul Femi Balo is the founder and publisher of TechBooky. He covers artificial intelligence, African technology, digital infrastructure, enterprise technology and the global digital economy.
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