Cambridge Analytica and Facebook investigation

UK company Cambridge Analytica has been accused of illegally harvesting the personal data of 50 million Facebook users. 

The UK's Information Commissioner, Elizabeth Denham, as well as European authorities have launched investigations in search of evidence of any breaches by the London based company in regards to the Data Protection Act.

Mark Zuckerberg, the founder and CEO of Facebook has also been called on by a parliamentary committee to give evidence about his knowledge of how Cambridge Analytica used the personal data obtained from his company.

The investigation is the result of a Channel 4 News report where a reporter secretly filmed Cambridge Analytica's chief executive Alexander Nix.

Facebook had came under fire for failing to correctly inform users of the social media network that their personal data may have been gathered and stored by Cambridge Analytica.

As a result the of questions raised the value of Facebook’s shares dropped by $37bn (£26bn).

British Prime Minister Theresa May has called for Cambridge Analytica to "co-operate fully" with the Information Commissioner, with a Downing Street spokesperson adding: "The allegations are clearly very concerning.

"It is essential that people can have confidence that their personal data will be protected and used in an appropriate way."