The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against Cambridge Analytica and Global Science Research Ltd for "illegal harvesting of personal data from Facebook users in India”, ANI reported on Friday, 22 January.
The data mining firm has been accused of harvesting personal information from Facebook illegally to influence polls in several countries.
On 8 August 2018, the investigating agency had initiated a probe into the data theft of Indians from Facebook by the two British firms – Cambridge Analytica and Global Science Research. Prior to that, in July, the Centre had announced that it has ordered a probe into the data breach scandal.
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had informed that the data breach case will be investigated by the CBI.
IT Ministry Vs Cambridge Analytica, Facebook
In March 2018, after reports that political parties had used the data analytics firm during elections, the government had issued a notice to Cambridge Analytica, asking it to share a list of clients and the source of data it had collected.
The IT Ministry had asked Cambridge Analytica to respond on six questions, including how the company had collected user data, whether consent had been taken from the individuals, and how the data had been used.
It said it had issued a notice to Cambridge Analytica "wherein the serious breach of propriety and misuse of data intended to profile and influence voting behaviour has been highlighted", adding in a statement that "breach of privacy cannot be tolerated".
The IT Ministry had also sought information from Facebook over the alleged breach of private user data on whether the personal data of Indian voters has been compromised by Cambridge Analytica. It also questioned if Facebook or agencies utilising the social media site’s data have previously been engaged by any entities to manipulate the Indian electoral process.
(With inputs from ANI and NDTV.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)