Downing Street 'concerned' at Facebook and Cambridge Analytica reports

Tuesday, 20 March, 2018

Facebook shares fell modestly in late trading after tumbling 6.8% in the stock market today on reports that data from 50 million users was held by Cambridge Analytica, which helped President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign.

In one exchange, when asked about digging up material on political opponents, Mr Nix said they could "send some girls around to the candidate's house", adding that Ukrainian girls "are very attractive, I find that works very well". An undercover reporter for Channel 4 News posed as a fixer for a wealthy client hoping to get candidates elected in Sri Lanka.

Asked about what "deep digging" could be done, Mr Nix told the reporter: "Oh, we do a lot more than that".

"They are very handsome", Nix added.

Mr Nix said they could "send some girls around to the candidate's house", adding that Ukrainian girls "are very lovely, I find that works very well", Channel 4 reported.

Tonight, a Cambridge Analytica spokesman said: "We entirely refute any allegation that Cambridge Analytica or any of its affiliates use entrapment, bribes, or so-called "honey-traps" for any goal whatsoever..."

That report, in turn, came just days after CA was suspended from Facebook over a data incident in which it collected information on around 50 million USA voters without their knowledge or consent.

Facebook sank 7.5 percent in heavy trading Monday following reports that a company employed by the Trump campaign improperly obtained data on tens of millions of users.

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A Cambridge Analytica statement denied misusing Facebook data for the Trump campaign.

Reports in The Observer suggested that the information was used to target political advertising in the 2016 United States presidential election - something denied by CA. Amy Klobuchar, to call out Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Then researchers could begin to determine how this data was used to target people.

She had already announced an investigation into the matter.

A Facebook spokesman say the company sent a letter to the Observer to make the case "that this did not represent a data breach".

Daniel Kreiss, a professor of media and communications at the University of North Carolina, said Facebook failed to live up to its responsibilities on election ads. "People chose to share their data with third party apps and if those third party apps did not follow the data agreements with us/users it is a violation.no systems were infiltrated, no passwords or information were stolen or hacked".

Chris Wylie, a Cambridge co-founder who left in 2014, said the firm used such techniques to learn about individuals and create an information cocoon to change their perceptions.

UK Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham said Monday she's seeking a warrant to search the company's offices and servers for any evidence of illegal activity.

"This is a complex and far reaching investigation for my office and any criminal or civil enforcement actions arising from it will be pursued vigorously".

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