Was profiling done for voting: Govt to Cambridge Analytica

Tribune News Service

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New Delhi, March 23

Taking note of reports of Facebook users’ data breach, the Centre today issued notice to Cambridge Analytica, the firm at the centre of the controversy, seeking its response by March 31 on whether it was involved in misuse of data to profile Indians and influence their voting.

“The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology has 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,” a statement issued by the ministry said.

The government also sought the company’s response on the entities which engaged Cambridge Analytica, the method used by it for possession of data and whether consent was taken from users. “Was there any profiling done on the basis of such data?” the ministry has asked the company.

IT Minster Ravi Shankar Prasad had earlier warned Facebook of “stringent” action over any attempt to influence polls through data theft. He had even threatened to summon firm CEO Mark Zuckerberg, “if needed”.