Facebook says an attack on its computer network has exposed the personal information of nearly 50 million users.
The Social Media Network is already facing scrutiny over how it handles the private information of its users.
The breach, which was discovered this week, is the largest in the company’s 14-year history.
The attackers exploited a feature in Facebook’s code to gain access to user accounts and potentially take control of them.
Sources say a British Analytics Firm got access to the private information of up to 87 million users to worries that disinformation on Facebook has affected elections and even led to deaths in several countries.
Senior Executives have testified several times this year in congressional hearings where some lawmakers suggested the government will need to step in if the social network is unable to get tighter control of its service.
