Cambridge Analytica Urgent Question House of Commons

Thank you the Secretary of State for

Digital culture sport.

The

revelations involving a serious

privacy breach involving Facebook is

very worrying. It was reported that

a whistle-blower X explored the data

of 50 million people globally. In an

increasingly digital world, it's

important that people may have the

confidence of their data is

protected. The regulator is already

investigating. The investigation is

considering how political parties

and campaigns, data and out these

companies, and social media

platforms in the UK have used poor

people's if personal information to

target voters. She is looking

whether Facebook was acquired, and

used illegally. -- face but better.

Notices were issued, it is

imperative that when an organisation

receives an information notice, they

must notice in full. We expect all

organisations involved to co-operate

with this investigation in whatever

way the information Commissioner

sees fit. I'm sure the House will

understand that this only so far we

can go up discussing specific

details of specific cases. But Mr

Speaker, the appropriate use of data

is useful, important for good

campaigning. It's as old as

democracy itself. Indeed we do it in

the House every day. But it's

important that the public is

comfortable with how information is

gathered, used and shared intimate

modern political campaigns. It's

important that the information

Commissioner has the enforcement

powers that she needs. The Bill

currently in committee will

strengthen legislation, and give her

tougher powers to make sure

organisations comply. The Bill gives

her powers to levy significant fines

from malpractice against

organisations that block the ICO's

organisation. -- investigation. This

will help control transparency and

security of data for people and

businesses across the country.

Because of the lessons learned

during the investigation into

difficulties the Commissioner has

found in getting appropriate

organisation -- Hsia has requested

stronger enforcement powers. They

are already in the Bill and she was

requesting even more criminal

sanctions. She has made it clear

that in order to deal with complex

investigations like this, the power

to compel testimonies from

individuals is now needed. We are

considering these new proposals and

I have no doubt the House will

consider them as the Bill passes

through. They took properly used has

massive value and social media is a

good thing. So, we must sent go to

do wrong conclusion and block all

access. We need rules to ensure

clarity and fairness. This is what

the Bill will provide. After all,

strong data protection gives

citizens confidence and that is good

for everyone.

Damon Collins.

I think

the Secretary of State for his

concern. Surveys were conducted with

Facebook users where he identified

200,000 people who answered his

surveys and from that he was able to

access data and other user profiles.

The information was still was then

sold. He gave evidence to the

committee, but that data was used in

their campaigns. Facebook give this

data breach for two years but did

nothing to target cabbage

analytical. The only when it was

clear that it was going to be

exposed. First, I asked Will someone

be contacting cambered University to

asked about what he was doing with

his team. A strike cambered

University. There is a larger issue

here. That data is used for

political campaigns. No one ever

gave consent that it could be used

in political campaigns of this way.

A lot of people would be shocked

that their data is used in this way.

Not just by a political party but by

a beta and out these consultancy.

Singly -- not simply taking a box on

Facebook, doesn't sign away your

drives. Nowhere does it ask you do

sign off your rides and it would not

be enforceable if the company tried

to do that. People's rides are still

protected. . Many people are

concerned that shadows shadow

companies are being used around

world. People are raising concerns

not just about the way they are

using data, but the ethics and

leadership of the company in all

apps exhibits lives. Stop -- aspects

of his life. I think this incident

shows that someone needs to have

this country than legal authority to

go behind a curtain, and would've up

platforms, see how data are used and

to make sure that they comply with

data protection laws. We need to

beat confident that they are being

enforced con --, conditions are met.

I am pleased that he has raised

that. I know that the committee will

take note of as we go to report

stage of the Bill.

Thank you very

much. Mr Speaker. Out as the paint

tribute to the work of the select

committee. The are doing an

incredibly important piece of work

because of the sensitivities of the

impact of this, in terms of its

political nature, the impact of

political campaigning, I think it is

excellent that a cross party group

of MPs leading the group. I pay

tribute to members on both sides. I

do remind them that he did have the

power of summons if people are not

giving them a good in offences. I

will ensure that all the

considerations that he mentioned I

looked into, he raised the point

about consent not be just a tick

box. This is directly addressed in

the data protection built. But

currently, because of the nature of

the very old legislation, in digital

terms 1998, eat can get away with

asking for a box to it taken many

people do not read the small print.

The data protection bill replaces

this take box approach with a

principle -based approach that I

think the whole House should

support. Finally, he asked about the

point about the powers of the

information Commissioner. He is

absolutely right that we've got to

ensure that with this piece of

legislation, and for the House right

now, we've got the power and the

rice so that the information

Commissioner can audit. That is in

the Bill already. The question is

whether it is strong enough. In

terms of what happens if people

choose not to comply with the audit.

At the moment there is a very

serious fine, the question is if,

should the criminal penalty shoes

should be strengthened and it is

something that is being discussed.

Jeni to pay tribute to the

committee, and also the Guardian

newspaper for pursuing this with

such utter relentless despite the

harassment issue has received. If

these allegations are true, it would

provide a direct indictment. The

governor has allowed the data giant

in this country than to be both

careless and carefree in their

misuse of data. If true, 50 million

data records would have been misused

the waive their rights were being

breached, but also in the way that

referendum and elections could I

become comes could've been affected.

Can he confirm that he will bring

forward those amendments stronger

powers the data protection, if he

does, we will back him on this. But

could he also agreed with our

amendments to set a deadline to

modernise e-commerce that treats

these companies with laws that that

date back to before there were even

born. To make it possible to bring

class action when data are breached

so that these class actions are

accessible to people and third, will

he ensure that he supports our

amendment to require disclosure of

funding for dark, social ads which

we know, can influence elections and

indeed, elections. The point you has

to consider, is whether can bridge

analytical can still have proper for

people to hold directorship. Will

this be investigated, with the full

weight of company's... If these

people need to be struck off, they

are struck off for good.

I will add

my praise to the Guardian

journalists who have done the work

that we saw published this weekend.

I agree with the right honourable

member with many of the questions he

raises. I think this is an area when

it is best to proceed with cross

party consensus that we can in that

area. I am not sure about the

dragging our feet argument, given

that the date of breach government

is being brought forward by this

government and GDP are also was

also, the European Union was also

back very strong that this

government. You're Artie taking

action in order to put write things

that were have been, needed to be

strengthened because of the

development of technology. Human

mentions -- admonitions as with

e-commerce directors. It isn't

really a question of updating

e-commerce directors. It's a

question of what would putting in

its place. We will be leaving the

single digital market and we'll got

a mention to get an opportunity

would get back that piece of

legislation right in the modern age,

to make sure we can support growth

and to use of modern technology. But

also do so in a way that

He has some of the directorship of

the directors of Cambridge and Oka.

Of course, we will ensure that

people are operating within the law

says there is a question, that is

for different departments but 1am

happy to talk to my Ministers about.

-- I am happy.

I'm sure my right

honourable friend will agree that

the news that has come through is

one that should cause us all very

great concern is that the difficulty

that it's been a parable for a long

time that the attaining of data, the

use that can be made of it whether

for commercial or political

purposes, is a gold mine for those

who wish to breach the law and the

sanctions that can be visited on

those who do this are entirely

inadequate. I'm perfectly aware that

the Government is amending the

legislation but I have to say to my

right honourable friend, I don't

think they lost that we are nothing

in terms of the penalties on those

who behave in this fashion are

anything like Joe and out. They

financial incentives are far too

great to the law. The penalties

proportionately insufficient and

ultimately we will have to be much

tougher and for going to stop this

sort of behaviour.

I have some

sympathy with the argument that he

makes. 4% of global turnover as a

find is a very significant find. For

an organisation for whom the data

processing is openly part of a

broader business, where the data

processing in this is the whole

business and could be regarded as

less proportionate. Therefore, we

are considering the information

commissioners request. It isn't just

about the 4% global turnover. There

is already a coma offence and caused

145 of the Bill. Which carries the

highest possible fines and criminal

records for providing false

information. So there are many are

stronger sanctions for specific

actions, but the point that he makes

is one the information Commissioner

herself has made and therefore one

that I think is worth listening to.

I think why most people across the

house I was shocked to read the

devolution and the observer. This

story is more evidence that

advertising market is growing

exponentially and becoming more and

more difficult to police. Russian

authorities putting ads... It is

gone and left unregulated in the

market will keep going into this

section. Or plans of the Government

has to take this required action and

of course, Facebook should be

brought back to the select committee

to explained previous evidence which

is alleged passably false. Lastly,

there have been reports that the

Conservative Party have been talked

with for some time, how long has it

been in talks and within the party

know about it deals with Facebook?

Does a government plan to hold an

inquiry by neither plan to do so, is

she worried about conflict of

interest given the Conservative

Party plans to use them for their

own benefit?

I answered the first

part of his questions and I probably

agree with him that this is a

serious and boring incident. We need

to make sure the Bill that is

currently before the House puts in

the powers to make that we've got

the enforcement powers behind the

required an ability to audit and the

commission it will get from this the

spell. With this threat to the

question about the Conservative

Party, as far as I understand, they

have no such dealings with Cambridge

Analytica and therefore the

following the conflict arises. -- no

conflict.

I have been the victim of

false news stories, being Michael

targeted under Facebook accounts in

my constituency to deliberately

undermine me and cause hate. Can I

think the Minister for prioritising

the data protection bill delivering

the data protection regulations and

to make sure the law is clear and

enforceable. How does he intend to

work with governments and other

countries to make sure there is no

wild West for evil use when it comes

to personal data?

I have said that

the wild West in terms of the

digital companies who flout rules

and think the best thing to do is to

move fast and pray things without

respect for the impact it has on

democracy and society, that wild

West is over. The data protection

bill as part of a suite of actions

that we are taking in order to make

sure that we have the freedoms that

we cherish on a line but not the

freedom to harm others. There are

many different areas in which this

impacts, brought together under our

digital charter and getting the

roles right in this space is a very

important part of that response.

Also I want to pay tribute to the

work of the select committee and to

the Guardian newspaper as well.

Doctor was able to present

information to Cambridge and a

little gut and amend to my also be

aware that Doctor Kogan also had a

teaching post and grants from social

media research from a Russian

university. -- information to

Cambridge Analytica. And that

Cambridge Analytica did research for

a firm that is currently on the US

sanctioned list. Ask the Secretary

of State himself investigated the

veracity of these reports? And has

either high or a Home Office

Minister been attached directly with

the Facebook and asked him what for

data breach might have taken place

and to ask him to investigate and if

they will not provide that

information, does he agree with the

colic request that power should be

taken to ensure that we can get that

information? -- agree with the

college.

We have any contact with

Facebook and this is very early

stages in terms of the specific

allegations made over the weekend,

but this is part of a longer

dialogue about making sure Facebook

treats these problems with the

seriousness that they deserve. The

focus today is on Facebook, but in

the autumn would came to the house

to talk about Huber's attitude to

data breaches and I don't want to

have to come to the house to talk

about data breaches again and again

from other big data companies. That

is why we need the law updated and

to get in place as soon as possible.

Mr Speaker, if evidence emerges that

any organisation issues people data

to interfere in a UK election or

referendum, by the information

commission, the select committee

work, the Guardian work, or

whatever, with the Minister

guarantee that a full public inquiry

will be established to find out what

happened and what the implications

were?

There is no evidence yet of a

successful interference and a UK

election or referendum. We remain

vigilant.

Given the important role

that Cambridge Analytica did play in

the EU referendum, given the Lex

made both by the observer's

fantastic journalists and others,

with the Kremlin wider campaign of

undermining and interfering in our

America and our policies, will he

assure the house the holiday

inquiries and investigations that we

have been discussing here today are

getting the full cooperation and

support of the British intelligence

and security services in their work?

Yes.

Thank you Mrs. Baker. The

Secretary of State will not have

long called for a comprehensive

forward-looking review of data. --

Mr Speaker. So that our citizens can

have the data rice and deserve. Data

protection bill does not do that, it

doesn't define property rights and

data, it doesn't consider market

power in data or algorithm abuse. A

slick is on the wrong side of

history when it comes to this and

share prices is crashing as a

result. Will he take action or will

he go back down at the last dinosaur

and an age of data ethics? --

Facebook is on the wrong side of

history.

Are few governments doing

more to get the roles write in this

space. The data protection bill is a

full suite of data protection

legislation, yes including GDP are

from European law, will more broadly

than that, in order to give people

the power over their own data and

consent over how it is used. What I

would recommend that she read the

Bill and gets on board and as she

has specific improvements, as we

have throughout the passage of the

spell, we are willing to consider

and listen to them, like the

proposals made by the information

Commissioner. We want to make sure

we get this legislation right.

In

the years before the 2008 crash, we

were told that people who were

running the City of London with the

masses of the universe at the and

waxing the same sort of arrogance

from the companies like Facebook. --

waxing the same soda arrogance. The

way they are using data and only the

research and how to use is

completely unregulated. Other areas

of research that I think people's

life are highly regulated. I don't

think the data protection bill goes

far enough in protecting people's

data and the research that goes to

manipulating it.

I ask him to

imagine that as the end of his

speech, the gentlemen, there was a

question mark.

LAUGHTER I agree with

the premise

the question is this

week it, I do agree with him that

the attitude of the social media

giants has been that a government

should get out of the way because

were doing things differently and

better. It may be a good thing for

95% of us that were connected better

and can use social media and also

ways that many people in this House

do, but there are serious risks and

downsides as well they need to be

addressed properly and appropriately

and best are addressed to

legislation where necessary and the

parallels are something that I think

is telling.

Not simply a matter of

Cambridge Analytica using data and

handed over by social media

provider, does matter of face with

behaving as though its users will

raw materials to exploited. -- it is

a matter of Facebook behaving as

though it's users will raw material.

Now the time to get providers to

adhere to a code of conduct.

Indeed.

A compulsory code of conduct in some

areas is in the Bill. Especially in

terms with respect to the treatment

of children. We have a statutory

code of conduct and the Digital

economy act that was passed last

year, but this whole ever you is one

where we have to make sure the

liberal values we support the

freedom but not the freedom to harm

others, these liberal values that we

apply to legislation to many other

parts of our lives are brought to

bear on the online world as well.

That is what I mean when I say the

wild West is over.

On the Bill

committee for the Bill lastly, the

Government rejected opposition

amendments agape will affect to the

European that consumer groups can

bring cause actions on behalf of our

global consumers will be subject to

a data breach. The Government

ignored this and put in a memo don't

think it was on a constant basis.

Given a revelation from Cambridge

Analytica and the fact that none of

us know what that were included in

the 50 billion Facebook profiles,

with the Government reconsider its

position and moved to an opt out

basis in line with European law?

The

European Union will offer Austin or

opt out. This whole bill is about

strengthening people's consent and

being able to say that yuppie couple

to forward as a legal action without

your consent unless you opt out. --

that you can take forward. That is

against the spirit of the rest of

the Bill. Nevertheless, we have

listened to the debate and the Other

Place and in here, and we have said

that within 20 months of the Bill,

and the force, we will review how

the opt in system is working because

we want this to be based on the

evidence.

citizens a perfect storm is putting

out democracy in peril.

And he urged

for urgent political staffs. Will

the Secretary of State now Athabasca

Beckel is a priority?

The question

asked is a priority that we are

considering and will have answers.

Andy Wigmore who was director of

communications for leaves Doctor EU.

Has described what happened without

cabbage analytic that, are biggest

weapon in the campaign. Not a penny

and the donations was reported to

the commission. An investigation was

launched and I'm pleased. But

there's if it turns out that it was

flagrant breach of of our electoral

rude it would put a major question

mark over the referendum result? --

rules.

We haven't seen any evidence

of any of this that cause of the

question the impact of the electoral

process whether it is an election or

referendum. We will make the let the

investigation take its course.

The

difficulty Mr Speaker, as that

Facebook holds all the evidence and

we can't have access to it. We know

that Facebook approach probably

everyone in this House before the

last general election saying that he

wanted to help us win our seats.

Will he join with those of us who

are very concerned about this issue

to ask Facebook to come clean about

all the information that they have,

where the got it from and how the

used it?

There are increased powers

of transparency in the Bill. Most

importantly, the Bill has in it the

power for the information

Commissioner to audit. And

therefore, to be able to demand

information in order to be able to

undertake an investigation like

that. And making sure that this bill

gets onto the statue book is the

single best way that we can make

progress in stopping flagrant

breaches in the future.

People

across the nations using Facebook

will be feeling the trade by these

revelations. You will field that

investigation must be held and

lawbreakers brought to account. But

given the minister's assurance and

Tory party involvement, will he

guarantee that everyone involved

with can bridge analytical will be

investigated transparently?

My

instinct is absolutely yes but of

course that is a matter for the

information Commissioner be and

rightly, because she's independent

of political parties. Of course, the

final answer is hers but you can see

what my instincts lie.

It's becoming

clear we have had a lot of

half-truths and mistruths, the

impact on elections and referenda in

this country is becoming clear, we

can't prove it yet but it is

becoming clear, the data companies

are not giving us evidence on what

he do with the information and are

not coming clean with how to use it.

What is the Secretary of State to

ensure that British people have

confidence that their information is

being used within the law, and that

our elections are absolutely fair

and transparent and well reported?

I

agree with her very strongly on the

premise of her question. The first

thing we will do is listen very

carefully to the report of the

select committee, which is doing an

excellent work in this area, and we

insist that all companies comply

properly with the select committee,

and I think the select committee has

got plenty more work to do as we

have just discovered. And we will

not rest until we put this right

because frankly, the quality of our

liberal democracy that we live and

depends on having a high-quality

political discourse and that means

that making sure that online, as

well is off, and have robust

exchanges but exchanges that are

based on objective truth and

reasonableness.

These allegations

involving Facebook and uncovered by

brave journalist, can the Minister

ensure the House that he will be

calling all major companies to his

office asking if they have been

involved in any of those breaches

and if they will come clean, so that

we can be confident on how data as

being protective.

I think he would

be very sensible of the dead.

The

Minister spoke of our important

democratic, liberal values. Could he

said he is aware of Facebook's

attempts to block broadcast, of the

expose...

Of all the different

things that have surprised me insert

shocked me in this revelation, the

decision by Facebook to take down

the Facebook account and also the

removal of the what's up account at

Instagram account of the

whistle-blower, was the most

surprising. Because it doesn't, I

thought it was outrageous. I thought

it was outrageous and I won't tell

you why. Because Facebook has got

some serious questions answered

here. They will tell their side of

the store but have some serious

questions answered. And answer it by

blocking an account, when in the

same time we know this House we

don't act fast enough enough to

block some outrageous obviously

outrageous accounts. While this

showed us that when they want to,

they can block an account