All You Need to Know About the Cambridge Analytica-Facebook Fiasco

The data firm was hired by US President Donald Trump during his 2016 election campaign.

On Friday, 16 March, Facebook made an announcement that it was suspending Cambridge Analytica. The firm which was integral to US President Donald Trump’s 2016 election campaign is now under fire for using improperly-collected data from Facebook users.

• Facebook on Friday, 16 March, said that it was suspending consulting firm Strategic Communication Laboratories (SCL) and its political data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica after it found they had violated its policies. (The Quint)
• The data firm was hired by Donald Trump during 2016 election campaign. As the legal trouble mounts, President Donald Trump has hired a former prosecutor who has argued that Trump is the target of an elaborate FBI conspiracy. (The Washington Post)
• Amid the ongoing chaos and backlash, Facebook Executive – Alex Stamos’s impending exit has heightened leadership tension. Stamos who plans to leave the company in August had advocated for more disclosure around Russian interference of the platform. Reportedly, there is disagreement over the handling of spread of misinformation. (The New York Times)

• As the data of 50 million users has been compromised, Facebook has also hired digital forensic team to investigate the matter. The social media giant is going to investigate Cambridge Analytica and the parent company after it came to light that they accessed the information through an app developed by a psychology professor. (The Verge)
• As the news of the information leak spread, Facebook stocks plunged nearly 7 percent, dragging all the US stocks lower on Monday, 19 March. (Deadline)
• Cambridge Analytica continues to deny all claims. In a press release it stated that they accessed the information from another company, GSR. But when they learned that the company had not adhered to the data protection regulation, all the data that was accessed was deleted. (Twitter/@CamAnalytica)
• However, executives of the data firm have been boasting about using tactics like bribes and sex workers to help candidates win elections across the globe.(Newsweek)

• Meanwhile, the state of Massachusetts has ordered an investigation into the breach-of-privacy case. The state’s attorney general, Maura Healey, in a tweet, said both the data firm and Facebook owe answers to the people. (CNN)
• United Kingdom’s Information Commission Office is in the process of obtaining a search warrant to examine the internal servers of Cambridge Analytica. (The Verge)

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