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Cambridge Analytica Shuts Down Amid Scandal Over Use of Facebook Data (gizmodo.com)

Gizmodo reports that Cambridge Analytica and its parent company, the SCL Group, are shutting down. "The news was announced during a conference call led by Julian Wheatland, the current chairman of the SCL Group who was reportedly tapped to take over as Cambridge Analytica's next CEO," reports Gizmodo. "Both Cambridge Analytica and SCL Elections will now close their doors." From the report: During the call, Wheatland said that the board determined that rebranding the company's current offerings in the current environment is "futile." Cambridge Analytica and SCL have offices in London, New York City, Arlington, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. The conference call was originally scheduled for Tuesday morning, but was repeatedly pushed back until early Wednesday afternoon, ultimately getting rescheduled more than half a dozen times. In explaining the decision to close the offices, Wheatland cited the ongoing investigations into Cambridge Analytica's massive data harvesting scandal, damage to the company's reputation, and loss of clients. In March, Britain's information commissioner announced that she was seeking a warrant to investigate any misconduct by the data analytics firm, looking to search both its offices and its servers. UK authorities raided the London office later that month, but have yet to release their findings. Meanwhile, embattled former CEO Alexander Nix refused to testify before the British Parliamentary media committee regarding the firm's misuse of Facebook user data.

10 of 67 comments (clear)

  1. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  2. Yale Analytica! by Zorro · · Score: 4, Funny

    Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap!

  3. Re:Shutdown? No. by Len · · Score: 5, Informative

    These people will just start a new business and rehire the core team. Watch.

    And here it is: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/05/02/cambridge_analytica_shutdown/

  4. Sale by 110010001000 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Are they having a 50% off going-out-of-business sale for all of your data?

  5. I'm sure Cambridge Analytica was the only one... by GregMmm · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Doesn't anyone wonder if there are more "Cambridge Analyticas" out there? Don't tell me Facebook only allowed this to happen with one company. Think of all the money to be made.

    Ever wonder why Cambridge Analytica is the bad guy when Facebook allowed this to happen?

  6. Re:Shutdown? No. by Anubis+IV · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Came here to say just this. It'll be a shutdown, followed by a sell-off to a "completely different" company that is actually just the same people doing the same thing.

  7. Re:Wait for it.... by mrbester · · Score: 5, Insightful

    They did better than that. They have filed for bankruptcy to avoid pesky legal fees being anywhere near their billions and are currently trading as Emerdata, at the same address, doing the same business, with the same people in the same positions as CA, which was just a shell company anyway (so they could avoid tax).

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    "Wait. Something's happening. It's opening up! My God, it's full of apricots!"
  8. Re:Shutdown? No. by PPH · · Score: 4, Funny

    In true form for British humor, this URL works as well (SFW):
    https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/05/02/cambridge_anal_plugged/

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    Have gnu, will travel.
  9. Six Month Later... by GlennC · · Score: 5, Funny

    A new company called "Oxford Interpretive" announces their opening. The founders and officers have familiar names.

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    Go on, citizen, stamp the vote card. R or D, your choice.
  10. Re:Shutdown? No. by rtb61 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Not a shutdown, oh no, they are declaring bankruptcies to fend off civil suits, bankrupting companies, sticking people with bad debt and making sure they can not be sued, just normal operations for companies run by psychopaths. No shame, no sense of guilt, just more corruption on top of past corruption to lead to even more corruption. Of course if all of this can be proved to be purposeful with intent to defraud and hide income in tax havens, than those who run the companies can be targeted and if they are not, a sure and solid line of corruption to governments of the day, pretty much become self evident.

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    Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen