Cambridge Analytica , the data analytics firm that worked on Donald Trump ’s 2016 presidential movement , has concord to a forensic audit to see whether the house improperly retained data point scrape from Facebook profiles .
Facebook announced the audited account in a argument , calling it a “ comprehensive internal and external review ” to determine whether Cambridge Analytica had truly deleted the data , as it claimed it had . Facebook has continue Stroz Friedburg , a digital forensics firm that serve the Democratic National Committee look into a hack of its server during the election rhythm , to conduct the investigation into Cambridge Analytica .
“ Cambridge Analytica has agree to comply and afford the firm complete access to their servers and system , ” Facebook tell . The company also approached Christopher Wylie and Aleksandr Kogan , who were involved in the data scraping for Cambridge Analytica , and asked them to participate in the audit .
Kogan created an app called “ thisisyourdigitallife ” that was downloaded more than 270,000 metre . The app gathered datum from the Facebook profiles of the mass who download it and from their friend ’ profile , finally gathering information about more than 50 million users . That data point was then passed to Cambridge Analytica to help develop elector profile , concord to report in theNew York Timesand theGuardian . Facebook discover out about the datum scraping in 2015 and demanded that the data be deleted .
Kogan has offer to testify before Congress about his theatrical role in the data assemblage , something that House and Senate Democrats toldGizmodothey will pursue .
Wylie , a former data scientist at Cambridge Analytica , claimedthat Facebook never follow up to affirm that the data was really deleted . On Friday , ahead of the news reports about Cambridge Analytica ’s use of visibility data , Facebookannouncedthat it had set aside Cambridge Analytica ’s score , as well as the business relationship of its parent company , SCL . It ’s not clear why Facebook expect until the detail of Cambridge Analytica ’s data point scrape became public before requesting an audited account .
“ We have approached the other party involved — Christopher Wylie and Aleksandr Kogan — and asked them to submit to an audited account as well . Mr. Kogan has given his verbal agreement to do so . Mr. Wylie thus far has declined , ” Facebook tell .
A Cambridge Analytica spokesperson toldCNNthat the data point collected from Facebook was not used during Trump ’s presidential campaign .
“ We also want to be light that today when developer create apps that necessitate for certain information from people , we direct a robust review to key possible policy trespass and to tax whether the app has a legitimate use for the data , ” Facebook’sstatementcontinued . “ We actually reject a significant issue of apps through this summons . Kogan ’s app would not be permitted access code to elaborated friends ’ data today . ”
Update , 6:30 p.m. : Stroz Friedberg auditors showed up at Cambridge Analytica ’s London offices this evening to commence their work , but pull up stakes at the behest of the UK Information Commissioner ’s Office . “ At the petition of the UK Information Commissioner ’s Office , which has declare it is pursuing a warrant to conduct its own on - website investigating , the Stroz Friedberg auditors stood down , ” Facebook said .
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