Here's how Cambridge Analytica accessed data of more than half a million Indians through Facebook

While talk of data breach has made global headlines in last three weeks, Republic World has accessed key information that unravels how British firm Cambridge Analytica accessed data of over half a million Facebook users from India. 
 
modus operandi involved a “research”-based mobile application and allegedly exploited fine-print to access data of millions of Indians. 

Cambridge Analytica allegedly came to possess Facebook data belonging to Indians via an app called ‘thisisyourdigitallife’, which was developed by a Cambridge researcher named Dr Kogan and his company GSR and offered personality quizzes, claiming to be a "research app used by psychologists".

SHOCKING | Personal Data Of About 87 Million Facebook Users Shared With Cambridge Analytica

GSR's app allegedly utilised Facebook's login service to grant user access. While seeking permissions to login via Facebook, app allegedly requested access to data of user as well as data of user's friends (so long as ir privacy settings allowed for this). 

Upon receiving access, GSR allegedly passed on user data to Cambridge Analytica without Facebook's permission.

Three-hundred-and-thirty-five (335) persons from India downloaded 'thisisyourdigitallife' app between vember 2013 and December 2015 at which point Facebook revoked its permissions. number only represents 0.1% of application’s total worldwide installs but potentially could have compromised 562,120 additional 'friends' of those users.
 
Earlier, a Republic World newsbreak had confirmed that Facebook's top manment had responded to Government of India's tice on Cambridge Analytica case. 

Cambridge Analytica came to be embroiled in controversy when an investigative report by UK's Channel 4 revealed that firm had accessed personal data of over 50 million Facebook users without taking ir permission in an effort to sway 2016 US Presidential elections in favour of Donald Trump campaign.

A massive India angle emerged, however, when BJP cited news reports from late 2017 that said that Cambridge Analytica would be Congress party's 'brahmastra' (a mythical weapon) in 2019 elections. While Congress denied any link with Cambridge Analytica both BJP and Congress were found to have been named as clients on website of an India-based analytics company called OVL, which was said to have links with Cambridge Analytica. Congress party's link to Cambridge Analytica appeared to be proven, however, when company whistleblower Christopher Wylie testified before a British Parliamentary committee naming Congress as a “client” of Cambridge Analytica. Posters of Congress were also spotted in visuals of w-suspended Cambridge Analytica CEO Alexander Nix.