March 22, 2018
March 16, 2018: It’s revealed that data analytics company, Cambridge Analytica, collected information on about 50 million Facebook users through a Facebook survey and used that information to try and influence voters in the 2016 US presidential election. It’s also claimed that Facebook knew about the security breach for two years, but did little or nothing to protect its users.
Facebook was launched by Mark Zuckerberg on February 4, 2004 (time unknown), but according to Rolf Liefeld on Astro-Databank the registration of Facebook as a business, occurred March 28, 1997, at 9.00pm PST San Francisco, California (37N47; 122W25).
Whether this registration date and time signifies Facebook’s true moment of birth is a little uncertain but the chart does provide interesting data.
Facebook progressed to March 16, 2018
The Moon – planet of the everyday people – in house 1 (the site’s users) is the chart’s dominant planet. And with the Moon conjunction Pluto – the planet of huge numbers of people – the site has over 2.2 billion monthly users. But Pluto is a shady planet that prefers secrecy to transparency.
The Moon and Pluto are trine (luck) Venus, Sun and Saturn in house 5 (fun and social networking) and Facebook is a social media site that allows people to network socially.
The Sun – cusp ruler of house 10 (success) – is in house 5 (it’s share price) and with the Midheaven forming six grand trines the chart has a net harmony of 107 harmodyne which accounts for its huge social and financial success.
That said…when the progressed planets form high discord aspects trouble is brewing and on March 16, 2018…
Progressed Sun – planet of politics and cusp ruler of house 10 (reputation) – at 29 Aries 09 in house 6 (employees) was square (obstacle) birth chart and progressed Neptune – planet of deception, tricks and fraud – at 29 Capricorn 39 and 29 Capricorn 55 respectively in house 3 (user’s private data?).
Progressed Mercury – planet of information – at 8 Taurus 49R in house 6 was square birth chart and progressed Uranus – planet of exposé and whistle blowers – in house 3. The progressed Mercury-birth chart Uranus square doesn’t end till August 2022 so more startling developments and big changes are very likely over the next few years.
Progressed MC (reputation and public standing) at 8N48 was parallel birth chart and progressed Pluto – planet of drastic developments and coercive cooperation – at 8N36 and 8N26 respectively in house 1 (the site’s users).
And progressed ascendant at 25 Scorpio 45 in house 1 was sesquisquare (agitation) birthchart Saturn – planet of loss – at 10 Aries 02 in house 5 (Facebook’s share price and market value).
America’s chart
This Facebook scandal (along with Donald Trump’s drastic imposition of trade tariffs on China) is mapped in America’s chart.
America’s chart progressed to March 22, 2018
Progressed Sun – planet of politics – at 12 Pisces 48 in house 10 is semisquare birth chart Pluto – Facebook, data, data extraction, customized personal profiles and internet tracking – at 28 Capricorn 19R in house 9 (the web, websites, publishing and advertising).
Progressed MC in house 5 (stocks) is conjunction birth chart Saturn – the planet of loss – at 14 Libra 47. Saturn is cusp ruler of house 9 – Facebook.
Chart data is July 4, 1776 at 2.14.35am (39N57: 75W09)
The Facebook scandal occurred with Mars conjunction Saturn in the sky and progressed Pluto parallel Saturn in the Pluto cycle.
Facebook scandal timeline
March 16, 2018
It’s revealed that data analytics company, Cambridge Analytica, collected information (Mercury) on about 50 million Facebook users through a Facebook survey (Mercury), and used that information to try and influence voters in the 2016 US presidential election (Sun). It’s also claimed that Facebook knew about the security breach for two years, but did little or nothing to protect (Saturn) its users (house 1).
March 17
The Massachusetts attorney general says her office is launching an investigation after reports that Cambridge Analytica harvested private information from more than 50 million Facebook users (Pluto and house 9).
London based, Cambridge Analytica (CA), was hired by the Trump campaign in the 2016 US election.
March 19
Facebook’s share price (house 5) plunges 7% (Saturn).
March 20
The US Federal Trade Commission (house 9) is reported to be investigating Facebook. Data mining company Cambridge Analytica suspends its chief executive Alexander Nix (Sun) indefinitely after he was captured on hidden camera bragging about manipulating (Pluto) elections.
Facebook's stock slides a further 2.6%. The loss (Saturn) to Facebook's value is more than $60bn (£43bn) in two days.
Investors fear (Saturn) the company could face massive fines and that its dented reputation (house 10) could scare off (Saturn) users and advertisers (house 9). Chances are Facebook is heading into legal battles (house 9) on multiple fronts.
The British and European parliaments (house 11) call on Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg (Sun) to give evidence to them.
Unnamed sources claim Facebook (house 9) is being investigated to see if it violated (Pluto) the terms of a 2011 decree (house 9) regarding the social network's (Pluto) privacy protections (Saturn).
Under the 2011 decree, Facebook (house 9) must notify users and obtain their permission before data about them is shared beyond the privacy settings they have established.
March 21
Mark Zuckerberg admits the social network (Pluto and house 9) ‘made mistakes’ that led to millions of Facebook users (Pluto) having their data exploited (Pluto) by a political consultancy (Sun). He describes the privacy scandal engulfing Facebook as a major breach of trust.
A campaign to delete Facebook (Pluto) gathers momentum.
March 26
The US Federal Trade Commission (house 9) will investigate Facebook over how private data on millions of users was given to Cambridge Analytica. The information is believed to have been used to help Donald Trump's 2016 campaign for US president.
March 27
Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg declines to appear before a British parliamentary committee into the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The company instead is sending one of his deputies. Zuckerberg is planning on giving evidence before the United States Congress. Facebook shares close down 4.9 per cent and have fallen almost 18 per cent since March 16 when the scandal broke.
March 28
Facebook says an already planned overhaul of its privacy tools will make it easier for people to find and edit the personal information the company holds.
April 4
Facebook increases its estimate of the number of users affected by the scandal involving the political consultancy Cambridge Analytica to 87 million. Progressed Moon was sesquisquare birth chart Neptune and trine birth chart Pluto in the Aquarian Age chart.
April 6
Facebook says it will verify the identity of people running popular pages, as part of its continued efforts to stem fake news and propaganda (Pluto).
April 7
Facebook suspends a Canadian data firm – AggregateIQ – that played a key role in the campaign for the UK to leave the EU.
April 10
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg begins a two-day congressional inquisition (Pluto) declaring his company is trying to change in the light of recent criticism, is facing an ‘arms race’ (Mars) with Russia actors and is working with Robert Mueller (Pluto) in the federal probe into Russian interference. Mars was conjunction Pluto in the sky; and Sun was square Pluto in the Sun cycle.
Astrology for Aquarius – sharing our knowledge
