Cambridge Analytica London offices raided by investigators
After days of back and forth, a high court judge finally grants a warrant for the search.
- She has a master's degree in journalism from Syracuse University.
Cambridge Analytica's office in central London.
Officers for the UK's information commissioner searched the London offices of data consultancy firm Cambridge Analytica on Friday after a high court judge finally issued a warrant for the search, according to the BBC.
Cambridge Analytica was thrust into the spotlight last week when a whistleblower who formerly worked at the company told The Guardian and The New York Times that it had exploited the personal data of millions of Facebook users.
UK Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham first demanded access to Cambridge Analytica's records and data on March 7. When the company didn't respond by her deadline, she requested a warrant, Denham said in a statement Monday. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), which is the UK's data protection watchdog, wants access to records as part of an investigation it opened last May into the use of data analysis for political purposes.
Facebook auditors were conducting their own search of Cambridge Analytica's offices on Monday evening when the ICO requested they leave.
"Facebook announced that it will stand down its search of Cambridge Analytica's premises at our request," Denham said in a statement late Monday. "Such a search would potentially compromise a regulatory investigation."
Cambridge Analytica didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.