Why (almost) everything reported about the Cambridge Analytica Facebook ‘hacking’ controversy is…...

Nobody is "stealing" personal data. We're handing it to them. All they have to do is ask. Requests for your personal data are especially effective when you are made the focus of a discussion. Everybody loves to be the center of attention, don't they? This expose reminds me of the time my brother-in-law became a certified astrologer. He cast a chart for my wife and I listened as he reported the results. It was at that moment that I discovered the lure of these shenanigans. Numerology, astrology, and the like all make the "client" the center of attention. For at least a half hour of so, someone is talking about you. So, anyone who wants to glean your personal data simply posts a personality test or the like: Answer a few simple questions and I'll tell you if you're a toad, a rabbit, a lion, or a unicorn. Oh, and just give me permission to access your Facebook account so I can mine your profile data. What? You didn't catch that question when you participated? Shame on you...