Congress, BJP trade charges over ‘hiring’ data consultancy Cambridge Analytica

A war of words erupted on Wednesday after the BJP-led government alleged that the Congress had contracted Cambridge Analytica to run the party’s 2019 electoral campaign, a charge the opposition party denied.

Cambridge Analytica is a UK-based firm accused of harvesting millions of Facebook users’ data for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. India warned social media platforms, including Facebook and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg, of “strong action” if they attempt to influence the country’s electoral process.

The country’s two main parties got embroiled in a face-off after information technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters in the Parliament House complex that the Congress has hired Cambridge Analytica to run its 2019 campaign and media reports suggest the party calls this move its “Brahmastra” — the ultimate weapon.

“My question to the Congress is will it depend on data manipulation and theft of data to win elections? What is the role of Cambridge Analytica in social media profile of Rahul Gandhi?” asked Prasad, who is also the law minister.

Read: Ravi Shankar Prasad says Cong has hired Cambridge Analytica, warns Facebook against interfering in polls

The government’s comments came hours after Congress leader Manish Tewari’s tweet, saying the Election Commission “should enquire/recommend investigation what services & to whom they were offering in India”.

The Congress was quick in its response to Prasad’s charges, saying the party or its president Rahul Gandhi never used or hired Cambridge Analytica.

“The BJP’s factory of fake news has produced one more fake product today. It appears fake statements, fake press conferences and fake agendas have become an everyday character of the BJP and its ‘lawless’ law minister Ravi Shankar,” Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said at a press conference.

The Congress leader, in turn, accused the BJP and the Janata Dal(United) of using Cambridge Analytica in 2010.

“The firm’s Indian partner Ovleno Business Intelligence (OBI) is being run by the BJP ally’s MP’s son. OBI company’s services were used by Rajnath Singh in 2009,” Surjewala said.

Read | Congress never hired Cambridge Analytica, BJP a factory of fake news: Randeep Surjewala

Divya Spandana of the Congress’s social media cell dismissed the BJP’s charges as “absolutely false”.

BJP spokesman Sambit Patra hit back at the Congress, saying his party has nothing to hide.

“Let me say that as far as the 2014 campaign of the BJP is concerned, 1,000 websites and 10,000 individuals had sought credit for the same. We have seen the named company has downed its website after allegation that it was carrying the name of BJP.”

According to him, the government is going to investigate the allegations against the Congress hiring the controversial UK firm and the truth will come out. “Rahul Gandhi should come forward and answer the questions which have been put to him,” he said.

Cambridge Analytica obtained data on 50 million Facebook users from 2014 through means that deceived the people as well as Facebook, the New York Times and London’s Observer reported on Saturday.

Reports alleged that the firm used data mined from Facebook in the voter research it conducted for US President Donald Trump during his 2016 election campaign.

Cambridge Analytica has denied the accusations, but the US privacy watchdog is conducting an investigation into the potential breach of user confidentiality by Facebook.

Since online campaigns have been playing a significant role in elections this century, Union minister Prasad said the government fully supports freedom of the press, speech and expression and is for exchange of ideas on social media.

But any attempt by social media sites, including Facebook, to influence India’s electoral process through undesirable means will not be tolerated, he said.

Prasad cautioned the social media giant and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, of action under Indian IT laws in case any data breach came to light.

“Mr Mark Zuckerberg, you better know the observation of IT minister of India, if any data theft of Indians is done with the collusion of FB systems, it will not be tolerated. We have got stringent powers in the IT act, including summoning you in India,” he said.

According to the minister, 200 million Indians use Facebook, making the country the company’s largest market outside of the US.

Asked if the government would initiate a probe on data use by Facebook, Prasad said India had a regulator in the form of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), and in case of any specific complaints, they would be taken under a structured investigation.

“We have a robust mechanism available, we will look into it. But today, this very stern observation I gave that let my warning be heard across the Atlantic far away in California,” he said.

This is not the first standoff between Indian policymakers and Facebook. In 2016, Trai issued regulations on discriminatory pricing over internet access that had led to a ban of platforms such as Facebook’s Free Basics.

“The issue concerns national interest and national security. And the BJP will take it very seriously if by collusive methods the data assets of Indians are pilfered... My caution is with regard to the democratic process,” Prasad said.

(With agency inputs)