British Parliament Seizes Facebook Documents

A cache of Facebook documents has been seized by MPs (members of the UK Parliament) investigating the Cambridge Analytica data scandal. Rarely used parliamentary powers were used to demand that the boss of a US software firm hand over the details.

The Observer newspaper, which first reported the story, said the documents included data about Facebook's privacy controls. MP Damian Collins later told the BBC that he believed the documents were "highly relevant" to his inquiry. Facebook has demanded their return.

Escorted to Parliament
The documents were intercepted when an executive of US tech firm Six4Three was on a trip to London.
In a highly unusual move the House of Commons sergeant-at-arms was sent to the businessman's hotel and he was given a final warning and a two-hour deadline to comply with the order.
When the executive failed to do so he was escorted to Parliament and warned he risked fines and imprisonment if the documents were not surrendered, the paper said.

The firm is involved in court action against Facebook in the US, where the documents were obtained through legal procedures.

Damian Collins, chairman of the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee, said he believes the documents - which include emails - contain information about how Facebook and other parties handle user data.
He told the BBC: "We felt this information was highly relevant to the inquiry... and therefore we sent an order to Mr. Kramer through the sergeant-at-arms asking that these documents be supplied to us.

Ultimately, that order was complied with." Mr Collins said he had reviewed the documents, and his committee would discuss this week how it intends to proceed. 

'Return the documents'
Mr Collins said the methods used to obtain the documents were unprecedented, adding: "But it's an unprecedented situation." He criticised Facebook's lack of cooperation with his committee, and said the "documents contained answers to some of the questions we have been seeking about the use of data, especially by external developers".

Facebook had yet to respond to a BBC request for comment, but told the Observer: "The materials obtained by the DCMS committee are subject to a protective order of the San Mateo Superior Court restricting their disclosure.

"We have asked the DCMS committee to refrain from reviewing them and to return them to counsel or to Facebook. We have no further comment."

Facebook and its founder Mark Zuckerberg have faced intense pressure over the social media giant's use of personal data, the spread of fake news, and, this month, allegations that it hired a PR firm to make claims about the financier George Soros.
Last month the UK data watchdog fined Facebook £500,000 following its investigation into the Cambridge Analytica affair. 

Facebook has appealed against the fine, claiming that the watchdog found no evidence that UK users' personal data had been shared inappropriately and the penalty was therefore unjustified.

The Cambridge Analytica scandal stems from the discovery that an academic at the University of Cambridge, Dr Aleksandr Kogan, used a personality quiz to harvest up to 87 million Facebook users' details. Some of this was subsequently shared with the political consultancy Cambridge Analytica, which used it to target political advertising in the US.

BBC

You Might Also Read:

Delay, Deny and Deflect: How Facebook’s Leaders Fought Through Crisis:
 

« Cyber Attacks On Australia Reveal A Pattern
Barclays Fights Off Cyber-Attacks Daily »

CyberSecurity Jobsite
Perimeter 81

Directory of Suppliers

LockLizard

LockLizard

Locklizard provides PDF DRM software that protects PDF documents from unauthorized access and misuse. Share and sell documents securely - prevent document leakage, sharing and piracy.

NordLayer

NordLayer

NordLayer is an adaptive network access security solution for modern businesses — from the world’s most trusted cybersecurity brand, Nord Security. 

Syxsense

Syxsense

Syxsense brings together endpoint management and security for greater efficiency and collaboration between IT management and security teams.

CYRIN

CYRIN

CYRIN® Cyber Range. Real Tools, Real Attacks, Real Scenarios. See why leading educational institutions and companies in the U.S. have begun to adopt the CYRIN® system.

BackupVault

BackupVault

BackupVault is a leading provider of automatic cloud backup and critical data protection against ransomware, insider attacks and hackers for businesses and organisations worldwide.

Intelligence-sec

Intelligence-sec

Intelligence-Sec is a fully integrated Conferences and Exhibitions Company managing and producing topical events for the security industry.

tunCERT

tunCERT

TunCERT is the National Computer Emergency Response Team of Tunisia.

Adeptis Group

Adeptis Group

Adeptis are experts in cyber security recruitment, providing bespoke staffing solutions to safeguard your organisation against ever-changing cyber threats.

MailGuard

MailGuard

MailGuard delivers a full suite of security solutions across email and web to protect your business before threats reach your environment.

Guy Carpenter

Guy Carpenter

Guy Carpenter delivers a powerful combination of broking expertise, strategic advisory services, and industry-leading analytics.

Watchdata Technologies

Watchdata Technologies

Watchdata Technologies is a pioneer in digital authentication and transaction security.

Puleng Technologies

Puleng Technologies

Puleng provides customers with a client-centric strategy to manage and secure the two most valuable assets an organisation has - its Data and Users.

International Cybersecurity Institute (ICSI)

International Cybersecurity Institute (ICSI)

ICSI is a UK company offering specialized and accredited professional qualifications in cybersecurity for young IT graduates as well as mature professionals.

Root9B (R9B)

Root9B (R9B)

R9B offers advanced cybersecurity products, services, and training to enhance the way organizations protect their networks.

Nu Quantum

Nu Quantum

Nu Quantum is developing quantum photonics hardware to power the quantum revolution in communications, sensing and computing.

SecureDrives

SecureDrives

Passwordless Authentication & Encrypted Data Storage Solutions from SecureDrives. We are enabling organisations to work safely and securely, using technology driven solutions.

FPG Technologies & Solutions

FPG Technologies & Solutions

FPG Technology is a technology solutions provider and systems integrator, specializing in delivering IT Consulting, IT Security, Cloud, Mobility, Infrastructure solutions and services.

Socura

Socura

Socura helps make the digital world a safer place; changing the way organisations think about cyber security through a dynamic, innovative, and human approach.

CyFlare

CyFlare

CyFlare’s security platform integrates your tools with ours – delivering true positives, automated remediation, and interactive analytics built for security management teams.

Panasonic Automotive Systems

Panasonic Automotive Systems

Panasonic Automotive Systems brings together security technologies and human resources cultivated across an extensive range of businesses into the automotive field.

Black Duck Software

Black Duck Software

Black Duck (formerly the Synopsys Software Integrity Group) is the market leader in application security testing (AST).