More than 6,000 Maltese Facebook users have had their data harvested

Personal data from more than 6,000 Maltese Facebook users was shared with analytics firm Cambridge Analytica, it has emerged, after the European Commission revealed 2.7 million EU citizens may have fallen victim to the scandal. 

More Maltese citizens were targetted than Estonia, Latvia and Luxembourg, countries with higher population. No further details are available. Figures show the Maltese are among the highest users of social media in the EU, especially Facebook. 

The European Union said on Friday Facebook has admitted up to 2.7 million people in the 28-nation bloc may have been victim of improper data sharing involving political data-mining firm Cambridge Analytica.

EU spokesman Christian Wigand said justice commissioner Vera Jourova will have a telephone call with Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg early next week to address the massive data leaks.

The EU and Facebook will be looking at what changes the social media giant needs to make to better protect users and how the US company must adapt to new EU data protection rules.

Mr Wigand said EU data protection authorities will discuss over the coming days "a strong co-ordinated approach" on how to deal with the...