CBI files case against Cambridge Analytica, GSRL

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against Cambridge Analytica and Global Science Research Ltd (GSRL)for "illegal harvesting of personal data from Facebook users in India,", CBI had initiated a preliminary inquiry against Cambridge Analytica and Global Science Research in 2018 for alleged illegal personal data harvesting of Indians from Facebook. It is alleged that Cambridge Analytica received data from Global Science Research which employed “illegal means” of personal data harvesting of Indians using Facebook.

In its response to the CBI, the social media company had said that GSRL illegally collected personal data of around 5.62 lakh users in India and shared it with Cambridge Analytica. It is alleged that the consulting firm then used the data to influence elections in India. In March 2018, multiple international media platforms cited former Cambridge Analytica employees, associates, and documents to report that the firm had harvested private information from the Facebook profiles of over 50 million users without their permission.

The IT ministry had shot off letters to Facebook and Cambridge Analytica in 2018 seeking clarification on the issue from them after the data breach came to light.The ministry’s move had come after Christopher Wylie, who blew the lid off the scam involving mining of Facebook user data to manipulate elections, tweeted details that claim to expose the British consultancy’s work in India dating back to 2003.