
Cambridge Analytica raided by UK data watchdog - doppp
https://techcrunch.com/2018/03/24/cambridge-analytica-raided-by-uk-data-watchdog/
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sctb
Previous discussion:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16662141](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16662141)

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cs702
In the blink of an eye, it seems, we have gone from a world in which
collecting, storing, and using personal data for financial gain was largely
viewed as a harmless activity, to a world in which doing those same things
will be increasingly controlled and regulated, scrutinized, criticized,
investigated, fined, and ultimately, I suspect, criminalized.

~~~
lostlogin
It’s interesting how the collection of the same information by the likes of
the five eyes is ok, yet for Facebook it isn’t.

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roywiggins
At least in the US, there are legal prohibitions on government propaganda
programs targeting Americans, whereas that's more or less entirely what
Facebook is for. If the govt is caught running influence campaigns inside the
US, there will be hell to pay- Congressional hearings, new legislation, etc.

~~~
lostlogin
They have been caught. Or are you referring to something else?

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adamnemecek
This is on the front page of reddit
[https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/86qxrb/cambridge_anal...](https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/86qxrb/cambridge_analytica_moving_boxes_out_of_their/)

I’m guessing it’s real the building does look like the CA HQ.

~~~
Symbiote
I'm not sure why you would doubt it.

But anyway, the Guardian has an article too:
[https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/23/judge-grants-
se...](https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/23/judge-grants-search-
warrant-for-cambridge-analyticas-offices)

~~~
maxerickson
The reddit link speculates that CA removed evidence from the building before
the warrant was served. The Guardian article you link doesn't say anything
about that.

(it's a legit Reuters photo, visible in the results at
[https://www.reuters.com/search/pictures?blob=cambridge+analy...](https://www.reuters.com/search/pictures?blob=cambridge+analytica&sortBy=date&dateRange=pastWeek)
)

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pjc50
Relatedly, some more Brexit whistleblowing:
[https://twitter.com/MichaelLCrick/status/977601337889312768](https://twitter.com/MichaelLCrick/status/977601337889312768)

and [https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/brexit-
outing_uk_5ab6...](https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/brexit-
outing_uk_5ab62a25e4b008c9e5f776e8)

~~~
krona
Sorry, I failed to see the relevance, apropos Cambridge Analytica.

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n4r9
Cambridge Analytica conducted research for Leave.EU, one of the biggest pro-
Brexit campaign groups, and are under investigation by the Electoral
Commission for their role in the EU referendum.

~~~
pjc50
Specifically this includes allegations that they were doing work which was
outside the election spending rules.

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chiefalchemist
Big Brother raids Step Brother for data provided by Little Brother.

I can't imagine I'm any safer now.

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vinay427
The raid was conducted by the Information Commissioner's Office, which has a
mission to "uphold information rights in the public interest, promoting
openness by public bodies and data privacy for individuals". That doesn't seem
very Big Brother to me, even if other government agencies do fit that
characterization.

Source: the bottom of their homepage -
[https://ico.org.uk](https://ico.org.uk)

~~~
chiefalchemist
This is gov / quasi-gov agency, yes? Do they also oversea what the gov and
other quasi-gov agencies collect? Or is their protection limited to what
happens in the private sector?

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vinay427
I suppose you directed this to me, so to be honest, I don't know. I'm not
British and didn't know about this agency before I posted my comment. I just
wanted to raise the point that the government isn't a monolithic entity that
can be solely described by its actions that we disapprove of.

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rdiddly
Ah, this completes the triad for me. I had previously heard FB deny
responsibility and Kogan deny responsibility. Hadn't yet heard CA deny
responsibility until now.

That's settled then. I guess nobody's at fault! Success has many fathers but
failure is an orphan.

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gabipurcaru
did Facebook deny responsibility?

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Analemma_
Facebook has sort of apologized, but their position has been that CA
bamboozled them, not that this is an inherent outcome of their business model.

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nightcracker
Too late...

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alkonaut
Raiding has to come with a sufficient reason for those raided to believe the
raiding party already has at least a portion of the material, either obtained
through interception or inside sources.

The idea is that the people being raided will hand over as much as possible
because it’s in their own best interest - knowing that anything they don’t
produce may be in the material already obtained, making them liable for
destroying it.

A late and preannounced raid _without_ any material obtained beforehand is
useless.

(It should be noted that there is no need to actually obtain any material if
you can make the people raided _believe_ you have some of the material)

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TomK32
Didn't know that. Thank you.

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alkonaut
I’m not sure this is the case here. It may well be that in this case they are
going for a fruitless search for material destroyed days ago. But at least I
_hope_ they are more clever than that.

