Cambridge Analytica Accused of Violating US Election Laws

British authorities have gathered evidence from Cambridge Analytica following a search of the firm's London headquarters over the weekend.

"The warrant to inspect the premises of Cambridge Analytica was executed at 20.00 on 23 March 2018".

After receiving a warrant from a judge, about 18 enforcement agents from the Information Commissioner's Office entered the company's London offices at around 8:00 pm (2000 GMT) Friday.

"We will now need to assess and consider the evidence before deciding the next steps and coming to any conclusions".

Following the search the ICO said that this matter forms part of a larger investigation into the use of personal data and analytics by political parties, commercial actors and social media firms.

The watchdog is leading the probe with the backing of the European Union's remaining 27 regulators, who this week vowed to collaborate to get to the bottom of the "very serious allegation with far-reaching consequences". In claiming that the company uses "data to change audience behavior", Cambridge Analytica harvested Facebook profile information, gaining insight to influence election results around the world.

In a move that can be classified as nothing else but ironic, Facebook has taken its apology offline and bought print ads in major newspapers across the United Kingdom to apologise for the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

The ads signed by Mark Zuckerberg said a quiz app built by a Cambridge University researcher leaked Facebook data of millions of people four years ago.

The complaint names SCL Group Limited CEO Alexander Nix, SCL co-founder Nigel Oakes, data scientist Alexander Tayler, and former employee-turned-whistleblower Christopher Wylie, all said to be non-U.S. citizens.

The company's shares fell 3.3 percent Friday to $159.39 at the close in NY, bringing the loss this week to nearly 14 percent since the revelations broke.

Calls to Cambridge Analytica's offices in London, Washington and NY weren't answered on Saturday.

The apology is formally signed off by the 33-year-old Facebook chief.

On Friday, the company said it's undertaking an independent third-party audit to verify that it does not hold any of the data.

The company, founded by Stephen K. Bannon and Robert Mercer, a wealthy Republican donor who has put at least Dollars 15 million into it, offered tools that could identify the personalities of American voters and influence their behaviour.

Facebook's privacy practices have come under fire after Cambridge Analytica, a political consulting firm affiliated with President Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign, got data inappropriately.

Mar. 24 (ANI): The Centre has issued a notice to the scandal-hit analytical firm Cambridge Analytica, asking them to reply to six questions by March 31.