Cambridge Analytica scandal: Elon Musk deletes SpaceX, Tesla Facebook Accounts

Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla has deleted Facebook accounts of his companies after taking up an online challenge from a Twitter follower. He also took down the Tesla-owned Solar City account.

On Friday, Musk had cheekily tweeted, “What is Facebook?”. He wrote in reply to Brian Acton, the co-founder of WhatsApp (which is owned by Facebook)

Facebook is making headlines after it was reported that Cambridge Analytica harvested data from 50 million Facebook users.

Taking a dig at Facebook earlier this week, WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton encouraged Fb users to delete their accounts — even though it was Facebook that made him a very rich man. In 2014, Facebook bought WhatsApp for $19 billion.

Following this another Twitter follower asked Musk to delete Facebook, he said he would. "I didn't realize there was one," Musk wrote of SpaceX's Facebook page, adding that it would be "gone soon."

It is time. #deletefacebook

— Brian Acton (@brianacton) March 20, 2018

Another Twitter user then pointed out Tesla's Facebook page, asking if it, too, would be deleted.

"Definitely," Musk wrote. "Looks lame anyway."

this should be deleted too right? pic.twitter.com/1llNaXS0CC

— bryson (@Bryson_M) March 23, 2018

SpaceX and Tesla had more than 5 million followers, according to Venture Beat.

What about Instagram?

— Martina Pennisi (@martinapennisi) March 23, 2018

SpaceX is still available on Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and Instagram (which, like WhatsApp, is owned by Facebook).

"Instagram's probably okay imo , so long as it stays fairly independent," Musk wrote. "I don't use FB & never have, so don't think I'm some kind of martyr or my companies are taking a huge blow. Also, we don't advertise or pay for endorsements, so ... don't care."

But this was not enough Musk added "We've never advertised with FB. "None of my companies buy advertising or pay famous people to fake endorse. Product lives or dies on its own merits."