An FIR has been lodged against Alexander Nix and Aleksandr Kogan, representatives of Cambridge Analytica and Global Science Research Limited by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
In 2018, there was illegal harvesting of data through Facebook, highlights the FIR. Aleksandr Kogan had developed an app called ‘This is Your Digital Life’ that allowed Cambridge Analytica to collect the personal details of 80 million Facebook users around the world.
The illegal harvesting of data was possibly used for profiling and influencing elections in India as it included demographic information, page likes on Facebook, contents of private messages, etc.
Facebook has conveyed to the Indian government that 335 users Indian users had installed this app and the data of 5.62 lakh friends of these persons was also harvested by the app, as per the FIR.
Earlier, Additional Solicitor General Vikramjit Banerjee stated that Cambridge Analytica has violated Section 43(a) (illegally accessing computer, computer system or computer network) read with Sections 66 (computer related offences) and 66B (punishment for dishonestly receiving stolen computer resource) of the Information Technology Act and Section 171C (undue influence at elections) of the Indian Penal Code for illegal harvesting of data.
In the preliminary enquiry of CBI, it was observed that Facebook had collected written certificates from Kogan and Cambridge Analytica declaring that the data obtained through the app was accounted for and destroyed.
