Crime
Cambridge Analytica collapses amidst data scandal
Cambridge Analytica is shutting down its operations following the Facebook data scandal.
The British company denied any wrongdoing, despite Facebook saying up to 87 million users had their data breached.
In a statement, Cambridge Analytica said the negative media coverage has left it unable to continue.
‘
Over the past several months, Cambridge Analytica has been the subject of numerous unfounded accusations and, despite the company’s efforts to correct the record, has been vilified for activities that are not only legal, but also widely accepted as a standard component of online advertising in both the political and commercial arenas,’ the firm said.
‘Despite Cambridge Analytica’s unwavering confidence that its employees have acted ethically and lawfully, which view is now fully supported by Mr Malins’ report [independent investigator Julian Malins], the siege of media coverage has driven away virtually all of the company’s customers and suppliers.
Cambridge Analytica’s former CEO Alexander Nix boasted about swaying elections.
‘As a result, it has been determined that it is no longer viable to continue operating the business, which left Cambridge Analytica with no realistic alternative to placing the company into administration.’
Cambridge Analytica offered services to political parties and businesses who wanted to manipulate ‘audience behaviour’.
They even worked on Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and the Leave campaign.
Using a personality app on Facebook, developed by Cambridge University researcher Aleksandr Kogan, the firm accessed data from millions of users without their knowledge.
Facebook said up to 1.1 million UK users – and 87 million people globally – could have had their information accessed.
While Cambridge Analytica said the number is closer to 30 million.
An investigation found company bosses boasting about using personal data to sway elections.
Alexander Nix, the CEO of Cambridge Analytica, was suspended in late March after Channel 4 News secretly recorded him boasting about swaying elections and taking credit for Donald Trump’s victory.
He was filmed saying: ‘We did all the research, all the data, all the analytics, all the targeting.
‘We ran all the digital campaign, the television campaign and our data informed all the strategy.’ Cambridge Analytica employee turned whistleblower Christopher Wylie lifted the lid on the firm
Wylie, a former Cambridge Analytica employee, told Channel 4 News that the firm offered a small amount of money to Facebook users to complete a survey, on the condition they consented to share personal details through the social media site.
This, it is claimed, allowed researchers to build personality and psychological profiles on millions of users.
Wyle told the Observer that this data was used to influence the US presidential election and the Brexit vote.
In the wake of the scandal, a movement urging Facebook users to delete their accounts started to grow.
The hashtag #DeleteFacebook started trending as users tried to prevent any potential further data breaches from happening.
As the scandal gathered pace, Facebook began informing users that their personal information may have been accessed by Cambridge Analytica.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg was brought before Congress in early April to explain the scandal.
During some five hours of Senate questioning, the ‘Zuck’ apologised several times, but he didn’t give much away and escaped without revealing anything that would bring down Facebook.
He said: ‘We didn’t take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake.
‘It was my mistake, and I’m sorry. I started Facebook, I run it, and I’m responsible for what happens here.’
Metro