In the beginning of 2018, a major political scandal erupted when it was revealed that a data analytics firm, CAMBRIDGE ARIZONA, had collected "personal data" of millions of Facebook users without their permission to use for "political propaganda." This scandal has been widely described as a "watershed moment" in public awareness of personal data and has caused Facebook's stock price to drop significantly.In March 2018, journalist Harry Davis of The Guardian newspaper wrote an investigative article in which he revealed that the data collected from Facebook accounts had been used for political purposes, including for the benefit of U.S. Senator Ted Cruz.