Facebook Data Leak: CBI Files Case Against Cambridge Analytica

In 2018, the central probe agency had initiated an investigation against Cambridge Analytica and Global Science Research for alleged illegal personal data harvesting of Indians from Facebook.

Updated: January 22, 2021 11:20 AM IST

By India.com News Desk | Edited by Surabhi Shaurya

Facebook Data Leak: CBI Files Case Against Cambridge Analytica

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday filed a case against Cambridge Analytica and Global Science Research Ltd for “illegal harvesting of personal data from Facebook users in India.” The development came after a preliminary enquiry into the matter which showed that Global Science Research had created an app “this is your digital life” which was authorised by Facebook to collect specific datasets of its users for research and academic purposes in 2014, officials said.

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Citing the FIR an official stated,”The enquiry prima facie established that Global Science Research Ltd, UK dishonestly and fraudulently accessed data of app users of “this is your digital life” and their Facebook friends.”

Charges Against Cambridge Analytica

In 2018, the central probe agency had initiated an investigation against Cambridge Analytica and Global Science Research for alleged illegal personal data harvesting of Indians from Facebook. The Mark Zuckerberg-owned company had had claimed that the data of about 87 million Facebook users might have been misused by British data analytics company Cambridge Analytica.

Besides, Facebook had said that the data of more than five lakh Indian users had also been compromised in the scandal. The breach occurred after 335 Indian Facebook users downloaded an app owned by a company, which later sold the information to Cambridge Analytica.

About Cambridge Analytica

Started in 2013, Cambridge Analytica is a British political consulting firm. It was involved in influencing hundreds of elections globally and that came to prominence through the Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal.

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Published Date: January 22, 2021 10:55 AM IST

Updated Date: January 22, 2021 11:20 AM IST