Data breach: Facebook warned of strict action

MINISTER HOLDS ZUCKERBERG RESPONSIBLE FOR DATA THEFT

Facebook is facing the heat after... Cambridge Analytica was accused of harvesting data of up to 50m Facebook users and misusing the same to help politicians.

Amid investigation by a US privacy watchdog over potential breach of user data by Facebook, India’s Information and Technology (IT) Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad, yesterday warned the social networking platform of stringent action if any attempt was made by them to influence the country’s electoral process.

“Today, 200 million Indians are on Facebook. If the data of the Indians is shared through Facebook, we have the stringent IT Act. We can even summon Facebook officials including founder Mark Zuckerberg for data sharing,” Prasad told media.

He directly held Zuckerberg responsible for the alleged data breach in India.

“Mr Mark Zuckerberg you better know the observation of IT Minister of India, if any data theft of Indians is done with the collusion of FB systems, it will not be tolerated. Let me make it very, very clear, we fully support freedom of press, speech and expression; we fully support free exchange of ideas on social media. But any attempt, covert or overt, by social media of trying to influence India’s electoral process through undesirable means will be dealt with seriously,” the minister added.

FB facing the heat

Facebook is facing the heat after British consulting company Cambridge Analytica was accused of harvesting data of up to 50 million Facebook users without permission and misusing the same to help politicians, including US President Donald Trump.

Prasad alleged that Congress party had direct links with Cambridge Analytica.

“My question to Congress party is whether to win elections, Congress will depend on data manipulation and theft of data. What is the role of Cambridge in social media profile of Rahul Gandhi,” he asked.

He said that Cambridge Analytica was hired by Congress to handle the party’s 2019 general election campaign.

“Cambridge Analytica is the company supposed to have influenced elections in America and Kenya. We want to tell Facebook to stop this. Also Congress should come out openly and explain its link with Cambridge Analytica,” Prasad said.

Asked if the government would initiate a probe on data misuse by Facebook, the IT minister stated that in case of any specific complaints, a structured investigation by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) could be undertaken. “We have got very robust mechanism available, we will look into it. But today, this very stern observation I gave that let my warning be heard across the Atlantic far away in California. The issue concerns national interest and national security. And Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will take it very seriously if by collusive methods the data assets of Indians are pilfered,” he said.