Say what you will about the strategy, that they felt the need to shout mea culpa so publicly is telling. I doubt they're anywhere near crisis territory yet, but a scandal like this will have a corrosive effect on numerous business vectors.
My hypothesis—pure speculation based on nothing—is that Facebook has seen a sudden dip or collapse in advertising revenue. Think about it, would you risk associating your brand with Facebook micro-targeting right now?
This seems a pretty accurate guess. Many of the major advertisers (Proctor & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, Unilever) have already pulled back on spending with the platform as an ineffective use of advertising budget [0].
My hypothesis—pure speculation based on nothing—is that Facebook has seen a sudden dip or collapse in advertising revenue. Think about it, would you risk associating your brand with Facebook micro-targeting right now?