Will the Minister of Electronics & Information Technology be pleased to state:-
(a) whether it is true that companies are misusing online data to manipulate the electoral process ahead of the general elections next year;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether it is also true that the Government has warned such companies which were misusing the said data; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
(a) to (d): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. *205 FOR 01-08-2018
REGARDING MISUSE OF ONLINE DATA
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(a) to (d): No such instance/report has come to the notice of Government. There had been media reports about leakage of personal data. Government took notice of reports about leakage of data by Facebook and Cambridge Analytica, and issued notices to them in this regard. In their response, Facebook informed that about 5.62 lakh Indians may have been potentially affected in the Cambridge Analytica case, wherein an application developed by Global Science Research Ltd.UK (GSR), could use Facebook platform to obtain user data that was allegedly provided to Cambridge Analytica. However, Cambridge Analytica responded that they do not have any Facebook data on Indian citizens. To a second notice, Facebook informed that Cambridge Analytica had violated Facebook’s policy. Cambridge Analytica have not responded to the second notice. Since the reply given by Cambridge Analytica was not adequately convincing, and that there was divergence in the replies given by Facebook & Cambridge Analytica, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been asked to investigate this matter with regard to possible misuse by Cambridge Analytica.
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