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Ravi Shankar Prasad questions Cong links with Cambridge Analytica, warns FB

Ravi Shankar Prasad questions Cong links with Cambridge Analytica, warns FB

New Delhi, Mar 21 (UNI) Close on the heels of Facebook facing the heat over the role of data-mining firm Cambridge Analytica and harvesting of information through undesirable means, the Union IT and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday warned against the abuse of technology and cautioned that if necessary Marc Zunckerberg can also be summoned in India.

"Mr Marc Zuckerberg you better note, if any data theft or abuse of data is done by using the Facebook system this shall not be tolerated. We have stringent power under the IT Act including summoning you in India," Mr Prasad told reporters here.
He said the recent developments wherein the role of data-mining firm Cambridge Analytica has created uproar worldwide, relates to "national security" and "fairness of election system" in India and thus he said question Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on alleged links with the British data and consulting firm has become imperative.
Facebook is at the receiving end of huge row and backlash after Cambridge Analytica, the British consulting company, was accused of harvesting data and allegedly it accessed the data of 50 million Facebook users without their permission.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the United States has reportedly opened an investigation into Facebook on whether the social media company deserves closer scrutiny over the privacy rules.
"Today, 20 crore Indians are on Facebook. If the data of the Indians is shared through Facebook," Mr Prasad said the government will take stringent action.
There are reports across the globe that the Cambridge Analytica have used data to help politicians, including US President Donald Trump and the Brexit campaign.
According to reports, Cambridge Analytica at the centre of the Facebook data breach has "boasted of using honey traps, fake news campaigns and operations with ex-spies" to swing election campaigns around the world.
Referring to global media reports that Cambridge Analytica has "claimed to have influenced" polls in countries including the United States, Kenya and Nigeria, the BJP leader also wanted to know: "Kya Congress party ney inse koi data ka sauda kya hae (Whether Congress party has done some data trade with this company)".
BJP sources have maintained that none other than Congress chief Rahul Gandhi announced in February first week creating of a 'Data Analytics' department at the party headquarters under the leadership of a former investment banker Praveen Chakravarty.
In fact, there was a Tweet from Mr Gandhi himself along with the snap of a Chakravarty: “Excited to announce a ‘Data Analytics’ department under the leadership of Praveen Chakravarty to effectively use ‘Big Data’.”
IT experts say the Cambridge Analytica received the user data from a Facebook app but the firm was not authorised to have that information. Meanwhile reports claimed that the Facebook has already suspended Cambridge Analytica from its platform.
"We respect the freedom of press, but we do not tolerate the misuse of social media in influencing electoral process in India. We want to warn Facebook that it will not be tolerated," Mr Prasad said.
"As IT and Law Minister of India, let me make it very very clear, we fully support freedom of press and free exchange of ideas on social media, but any attempt -- covert or overt -- on social media including, Facebook, and trying to influence India's electoral process through undesirable means will neither be appreciated nor tolerated," Mr Prasad said.
On this backdrop he posed a a few questions for Congress party, and these include: "Will Congress party now depend upon data manipulation and theft to woo voters?"
He further said the principal opposition party also ought to clarify what role the controversial data mining firm has played in supporting the 'social networking' team and boosting the Twitter profile of the Congress president Rahul Gandhi.
There have been reports earlier about Cambridge Analytica team meeting "Indian politicians" in August 2017 to discuss about 2019 election strategy of a major political party in India.
UNI DEVN SHK 1619

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