The FBI and parent agency the Department of Justice are investigating Cambridge Analytica, the now-discontinued data analytics firm that worked with Facebook and President Donald Trump’s campaign, The New York Times reported Tuesday.
Authorities have reportedly interviewed former workers, as well as officials for banks that worked with the company. Investigators are trying to see if there were any wrongdoings with the U.K.-based firm’s finances, including potential partnerships, according to TheNYT. They are also looking into the main grievance levied against Cambridge Analytica in recent months — how it obtained, managed, and utilized people’s personal information, including traits and online tendencies.
Facebook disclosed in March that it suspended the firm because it violated its data usage and extraction agreements. After discovering that Cambridge Analytica was not abiding by its rules, it ordered that it delete all data it acquired through Facebook, something it also refused to do. The whole episode sparked grave concerns, leading lawmakers to summon Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to officially explain himself before oft-eager regulators. (RELATED: Facebook Spent Millions Lobbying The Government Over The Years. Has It Been A Total Waste?)
Facebook’s public perception took a hit, but its stock has since rebounded with its amount of users staying roughly the same.
Cambridge Analytica was also taken to task, eventually closing over what it feels is unfair, disproportionate criticism for what several other companies do without reprisal or remorse.
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