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Judge grants search warrant for Cambridge Analytica's offices Investigators raid offices of Cambridge Analytica after search warrant granted
(about 2 hours later)
A judge has issued a warrant for the offices of Cambridge Analytica to be searched. Eighteen enforcement officers have entered the Cambridge Analytica headquarters in London’s West End to search the premises after the data watchdog was granted a warrant to examine its records.
The information commissioner, Elizabeth Denham, wants access to records and data in the hands of the London-based company amid claims that Facebook data may have been illegally acquired and used for political campaigns. Cambridge Analytica and Facebook both deny any wrongdoing. Four days after the information commissioner, Elizabeth Denham, first announced plans to raid the offices, a judge issued a warrant on Friday evening.
The data watchdog’s investigation includes the acquisition and use of Facebook data by Cambridge Analytica, its parent company SCL and the academic Dr Aleksandr Kogan, who developed the app used to gather data. Denham has been seeking access to records held by the London-based data analytics company which faces allegations it may have illegally acquired the information of millions of Facebook users and used it to profile and target voters during political campaigns.
It stems from claims over the harvesting of personal data - and whether it was used during Donald Trump’s US presidential campaign or the Brexit referendum. Mr Justice Leonard granted the warrant after a five-hour hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice, adjourned from Wednesday.
Cambridge Analytica’s chief executive, Alexander Nix, has been suspended while Facebook’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg, has been called on to give evidence to MPs. A spokesperson for the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said: “We are pleased with the decision of the judge and we plan to execute the warrant shortly. This is just one part of a larger investigation into the use of personal data and analytics for political purposes.
After a hearing at London’s high court on Friday, Judge Leonard said he would give the reasons for his decision on Tuesday. “As you will expect, we will now need to collect, assess and consider the evidence before coming to any conclusions.”
The focus of the data watchdog’s investigation includes the acquisition and use of Facebook data by Cambridge Analytica, its parent company SCL and Dr Aleksandr Kogan, the academic who developed the app used to gather the data.
The growing scandal stems from claims over the harvesting of personal data and whether it was used to affect the outcome of Donald Trump’s US presidential campaign and the EU referendum.
Less than an hour after the warrant was granted, a group of 18 people, some wearing ICO enforcement jackets, entered the building from New Oxford Street, led by a woman holding a piece of paper which appeared to be a warrant.
The enforcement officers were seen on the second floor – where Cambridge Analytica is thought to have its offices.
It is understood they are searching for correspondence and communications between SCL and GSR, as well as data obtained from Facebook via Kogan.
News of the raid came as the acting CEO of Cambridge Analytica, Dr Alexander Tayler, appointed after the suspension of Alexander Nix, issued an apology about the way some data had been collected by an affiliate company.
“I am sorry that, in 2014, SCL Elections [an affiliate of Cambridge Analytica] licensed Facebook data from a research company [GSR] that had not received consent from respondents,” he said. “The company believed the data had been obtained in line with Facebook’s terms of service and data protection laws.
“We are now undertaking an independent third-party audit to verify that we do not hold any GSR data.”
Tayler went on to deny that a former employee who provided documents and information about Cambridge Analytica to the Observer was a whistleblower.
He said: “The source of allegations against the company is not a whistleblower or a founder of the company. Christopher Wylie was a part-time contractor who left in July 2014 and has no direct knowledge of our work or practices since that date.
“He was at the company for less than a year, after which he was made the subject of restraining undertakings to prevent his misuse of the company’s intellectual property while attempting to set up his own rival firm.”
Meanwhile, pressure is mounting on Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg who has been called to give evidence to MPs.
Cambridge Analytica, SCL, Kogan and Facebook deny any wrongdoing.
Earlier in the week, the culture secretary, Matt Hancock, hinted that the government would consider further strengthening the information commissioner’s powers to investigate the misuse of personal data amid criticism that it had taken so long to get a search warrant.
Following Friday’s hearing , Leonard said he would outline the reasons for his decision on Tuesday.
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