App tracks #deletefacebook movement

Millions of Facebook users were stunned to learn recently that their personal profiles were given to a British company that used the information to support Donald Trump's campaign for President in 2016. According to The New York Times, Facebook gave the data to a Cambridge University researcher who shared it with a company called Cambridge Analytica, which has ties to conservative financier Robert Mercer, former Trump aide Steve Bannon and to a number of Russian businesses.

The news caused an immediate backlash among Facebook users, many of whom deleted their Facebook accounts. The Times reported that the hashtag gained momentum through the week:

The hashtag #DeleteFacebook appeared more than 10,000 times on Twitter within a two-hour period on Wednesday, according to the analytics service ExportTweet. On Tuesday, it was mentioned 40,398 times, according to the analytics service Digimind.

And now there's an app to help people follow the Delete Facebook movement. Called #DeleteFacebook Poll, News & Tweets, the Android app invites users to declare their status - are they in or out with Facebook? - and share the reasons behind their choice.

The app also offers a collection of trending news about the Facebook data issue and the latest Twitter posts that use the #deletefacebook hashtag.

The app is available as a free download for Android devices in the Google Play Store.

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Written by Ric Manning

Follow me on Twitter @ricmanning and read my technology columns at My Well Being.