Cambridge Analytica Acting CEO Responds to Allegations of Mishandled Data

On March 24, 2018, reports highlighted the fallout from allegations that user data was improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica. According to both Facebook and Cambridge Analytica, a third-party application gathered data from users and their friends before passing that information to the firm. The developer of the application defended their actions, claiming they were being scapegoated and had been unaware of violating any platform privacy policies. Meanwhile, a government ministry sought answers from Cambridge Analytica regarding whether any user profiling had been conducted using the acquired data, requesting a response by the end of the month.

In response to the controversy, the UK Information Commissioner’s Office sought a warrant to search the offices of Cambridge Analytica, requesting that auditors representing the social media platform stand down during the process.

The backlash led to a decline in the platform’s stock price and a viral campaign urging users to delete their accounts. In San Jose, an attorney filed a lawsuit on behalf of shareholders against the company’s chief executive, chief operating officer, and board members. The lawsuit demanded court-ordered improvements to internal processes and compensation to restore shareholders to their previous financial positions. Additionally, an information security officer at Drexel University noted that deleting accounts might not prevent data leaks to third parties.

The company’s chief executive conducted a series of media interviews to address concerns over user privacy, explaining that retaining user data provided a competitive advantage. Following these appearances, Walden and Pallone stated that the chief executive was the correct witness to provide answers to the American people.