Privacy commissioner opens Facebook probe

A formal investigation into Facebook has been launched in Australia after confirmation up to one in 50 users here may have had their personal information accessed.

Facebook admitted 311,127 users in Australia were among up to 87 million users worldwide whose data was unknowingly shared with political consultancy agency Cambridge Analytica.

Acting privacy commissioner Angelene Falk has launched a formal investigation to consider whether Facebook has breached the Privacy Act, she said in a statement on Thursday.