CBI files case against Cambridge Analytica, Global Science Research for "illegal data harvesting"
Jan 22, 2021
New Delhi [India], January 22 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday registered a case against Cambridge Analytica and Global Science Research Limited Company for "illegal harvesting of personal data from Facebook users in India," officials said.
The action came after a preliminary enquiry into the matter showed that Global Science Research had created an app "thisisyourdigitallife" which was authorised by Facebook to collect specific datasets of its users for research and academic purposes in 2014, officials further said.
The enquiry prima facie established that Global Science Research Ltd, UK dishonestly and fraudulently accessed data of app users of "thisisyourdigitallife" and their Facebook friends, an official said, citing the FIR.
"Cambridge Analytica (UK) Limited said that they had received data from Global Science Research Limited UK, pertaining to US citizens only." K Pradeep Kumar, Additional Superintendent of Police said, citing the FIR.
The CBI in August 2018 had initiated a preliminary inquiry into data theft of Indians from social networking service Facebook by British firms Cambridge Analytica and Global Science Research.
Cambridge Analytica, earlier faced allegations that it supported Donald Trump during the 2016 Presidential election in the USA by obtaining information from more than 87 million Facebook accounts.
Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in 2018 had said that the central investigation agency would investigate whether the British company violated laws to manipulate the electoral process during the 2014 General election.
In 2018, Cambridge Analytica filed for bankruptcy in the Southern District of New York.
