Amid Data Use Controversy, Cambridge Analytica Shuts Down
Marie Donlon | May 03, 2018Steeped in a data-use controversy that will likely shape how personal data is used and gathered in the future, political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica announced that it will be closing its doors.
Based in the U.K., Cambridge Analytica has been accused of working on behalf of some of its political clients, culling the data of roughly 87 million Facebook users to influence the outcomes of both the 2016 U.S. presidential election as well as the U.K. Brexit referendum.
Accusing the firm of "improperly" gathering data using a quiz app, Facebook vows to continue its investigation into the data harvesting, despite the announced closing.
"This doesn't change our commitment and determination to understand exactly what happened and make sure it doesn't happen again," said a Facebook spokesperson.
Appearing on the beleaguered company's site is a statement announcing the news and a simultaneous denial of any wrongdoing:
"Over the past several months, Cambridge Analytica has been the subject of numerous unfounded accusations and, despite the company's efforts to correct the record, has been vilified for activities that are not only legal, but also widely accepted as a standard component of online advertising in both the political and commercial arenas," it said.
"Despite Cambridge Analytica's unwavering confidence that its employees have acted ethically and lawfully... the siege of media coverage has driven away virtually all of the company's customers and suppliers. As a result, it has been determined that it is no longer viable to continue operating the business."
Lots of organizations used data to influence the outcomes of elections . . . . isn't that the point of political advertisements??
This whole thing is a tempest in a teapot.
All the 'experts' thought Hillary would win . . . . but the 'experts' were out of touch. They don't live in the real world. And they got miffed when the voters didn't vote they way they wanted them to. Waah.
It was probably the same with Brexit. I can't speak for our brethren on the other side of the pond, but I can imagine there are sentiments among the commoners that don't want to subject their sovereign country to the whims of a huge multi-national bureaucracy. I would agree with them. "Experts' like to tell other people how to think and how to live. There is wisdom in the masses.
Shuttering this company is just a way to escape the media witch-hunt. They can quietly re-organize under a different name.