Govt won’t share Facebook’s response for confidentiality

The government has refused to share copies of responses received from the US-based social media giant Facebook over global data breach scandal involving London-based data mining firm Cambridge Analytica, saying the information was shared by the companies "in confidence".

“The responses received cannot be shared since the companies have shared (it) in confidence. They have requested to treat the information contained in their letter as confidential and has furnished (it) only for use of authority,” the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology replied to an RTI query filed by this PTI correspondent.

It was asked to provide copy of replies received from Facebook and Cambridge Analytica on the notices sent by the ministry. Facebook had in April admitted that nearly 5.62 lakh people in India were "potentially affected" by its global data breach involving Cambridge Analytica, and asserted that the UK-based firm's use of such data did not have its consent.

In response to the Indian government on the scandal, Facebook had informed that “only 335 people” in India were directly affected through the installation of an application and another 5,62,120 people were "potentially affected" as friends of those users.

Facebook has over 20 crore users in India. Facebook had said that the data of about 87 million people — mostly in the US — might have been improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica.

After the data breach came to light, the ministry had in March and April this year shot off communications to Facebook and Cambridge Analytica seeking clarification on the issue from them.