Cambridge Analytica response on data breach ‘cryptic and evasive’, finds govt

In its bid to understand the dimensions of Facebook data breach, the Indian government had sought clarifications from Cambridge Analytica (CA), but the response it received was "unsatisfactory, cryptic and evasive", according to sources. The government has sought further clarifications from CA by May 10.

The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) on March 23, 2018 had sent a notice to CA, seeking response on data breach of Indians. The response was received on April 3, 2018. Sources said the unstated intention of the response was to "conceal more than to reveal."

Additionally, the government had also sent a notice to Facebook on March 28. Responding to it, Facebook, on April 5, informed that data of estimated 562,455 Indians may have been used in an unauthorised manner by CA through 335 installations of the app developed by GSR and installed by Indians.

Now the government has further asked Facebook about what security architecture is proposed to be created by it, on an urgent basis, so that the data concerning Indians are not pilfered or manipulated again for extraneous purposes including to influence elections.

Government has also asked Facebook what step it would take in case of unauthorised manipulation seeking a reply by May 10, reports IANS.