PMQs: Theresa May insists no government links to Cambridge Analytica as she calls allegations “very concerning”
The Prime Minister has defended the government against claims it has links with Cambridge Analytica, the company at the centre of a storm over its use of data in the 2016 US Presidential elections.
Ian Blackford, SNP’s leader in Westminster, grilled Theresa May over her connection with the firm, which is battling against accusations it “harvested” data belonging to 50 million people from Facebook and following an eye-opening undercover report by Channel 4 News in which senior figures boasted of using honey traps in their work.
Cambridge Analytica, whose chief executive Alexander Nix was suspended last night, is currently the subject of an investigation by the Information Commissioner, which was yesterday seeking a court warrant to access the London headquarters.
Blackford said: “Can I point out that the parent company of Cambridge Analytica, Strategic Communications Laboratory, it has been run by a chairman of Oxford Conservative Association, its founding chairman was a former Conservative MP, a director appears to have donated over £700,000 to the Tory party, a former Conservative party chairman is a shareholder.
“We know about the links to the Conservative party, they go on and on.”
But May insisted the government had no links to Cambridge Analytica or its parent company.
She said:”As far as I’m aware the government has no current contracts with Cambridge Analytica or with the SCL group… The allegations are clearly very concerning, it is absolutely right they should be properly investigated.”
She added: “People need to have confidence in how their data is used and I would expect Facebook, Cambridge Analytica and all organisations involved to comply fully with the investigation taking place.”
Data was obtained through a quiz called This Is Your Digital Life, which harvested the personal details of about 270,000 people who took it in 2014. It also took data belonging to their Facebook friends, expanding the reach to 50 million people.
Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg has been called to appear in front of the DCMS Select Committee to give evidence for its fake news enquiry, and the firm is also expected to be subject to an FTC investigation in the States.