Facebook data misuse scandal: Zuckerberg needs “a few years” to clean the mess

Facebook may need "a few years" to fix the problems regarding the data misuse, said the company's CEO Mark Zuckerberg in an interview with the news site Vox. While he admitted the mistake, Zuckerberg defended the company's business model. And he was not shy to retaliate to Apple CEO Tim Cook, who had criticized the social media platform last week.

Zuckerberg pointed out that one of Facebook's problems is that is is idealistic. So the company focused more the on its main goal, which is connecting people all across the world. "We didn't spend enough time investing in, or thinking through, some of the downside uses of the tools", he was quoted as saying.

"I think now people are appropriately focused on some of the risks and downsides as well," Zuckerberg noted.

"I think we will dig through this hole, but it will take a few years. I wish I could solve all these issues in three months or six months, but I just think the reality is that solving some of these questions is just going to take a longer period of time."

As stated, Zuckerberg responded (more like fired back) to the comments made by Tim Cook, who had said that Facebook was in hot water because its business model tried to make money out of people's data.

"I find that argument; that if you're not paying that somehow we can't care about you, to be extremely glib. And not at all aligned with the truth," he said.

"The reality here is that if you want to build a service that helps connect everyone in the world, then there are a lot of people who can't afford to pay. And therefore, as with a lot of media, having an advertising-supported model is the only rational model."

For those who are not aware, Facebook recently found itself at the center of controversy when Zuckerberg admitted that the social network giant has shared user data with the British consultancy firm Cambridge Analytica. Naturally, people were outraged with the news and the hashtag #DeleteFacebook started trending online.

Inputs from Agence France-Presse