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Government issues show-cause notice to Cambridge Analytica

WION Web Team
New Delhi, Delhi, IndiaUpdated: Mar 23, 2018, 03:43 PM IST
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File photo. Photograph:(Reuters)

Indian Ministry of Information Technology issued a show-cause notice to UK based data mining company Cambridge Analytica on Thursday.

The notice seeks to enquire into Facebook data breach and details of the company's Indian clients besides other information.

The notice also sought the company's response to the method of data possession and whether the consent was taken from users or not.

On Wednesday, Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad warned Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg of 'stringent' action if any attempt to misuse social media was made during upcoming 2019 elections.

He also threatened to "summon" Zuckerberg to India if needed. 
 
Amid the Cambridge Analytica-Facebook data breach row, BJP and Congress both have gotten involved in the blame game of using services of Cambridge Analytica who has been accused of illegally mining private data of Facebook users.

Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad accused Congress Party in a press conference, of having ties with data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica whiles alleging that Congress is planning to use the firm's services for the next Lok Sabha elections and to boost Rahul Gandhi's profile.

He further asked Rahul Gandhi to explain the company's role in his social media outreach.

Meanwhile, Congress has denied all allegations.

Refusing accusations, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said, "Indian National Congress or the Congress President has never used or never hired the services of a company called Cambridge Analytica,".

Cambridge Analytica has been accused of harvesting private information from more than 50 million Facebook users in developing techniques to support President Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign, the New York Times and London's Observer reported on Saturday (March 18).

The reports have mentioned that the firm has worked for Indian clients as well.