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from the but-they-have-created-another-company dept.
"Cambridge Analytica, the marketing research company at the heart of the Facebook data breach, is shutting down, according to reports. Parent company, SCL Group, said it was shutting its U.S. offices during a Wednesday conference call with employees." foxnews.com/tech/2018/05/02/cambridge-analytica-shutting-down-reports-say.html
Cambridge Analytica denied the accusations levied against it by Facebook and others, but said it could not correct the "unfounded accusations," even as it hired Queen's Counsel Julian Malins to conduct an independent investigation into the company's practices surrounding its political activities.
"Despite Cambridge Analytica’s unwavering confidence that its employees have acted ethically and lawfully, which view is now fully supported by Mr. Malins’ report, the siege of media coverage has driven away virtually all of the Company’s customers and suppliers," the company added in the release. "As a result, it has been determined that it is no longer viable to continue operating the business, which left Cambridge Analytica with no realistic alternative to placing the Company into administration."
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Thursday May 03 2018, @01:58PM (16 children)
The ship is sinking, but that doesn't mean they are shutting down. Another corporation will be formed, a think tank will be created, names may or may not be changed, officers will be shuffled around, and they'll be back in business before any chairs grow cold. And, none of the data they collected will be lost.
(Score: 5, Informative) by Whoever on Thursday May 03 2018, @02:29PM (8 children)
Already happened. The new company is called Emerdata.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 03 2018, @02:30PM (3 children)
I thought it was Blackwater Analytica.
(Score: 2) by JNCF on Thursday May 03 2018, @02:46PM (2 children)
Academi Analytica.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 03 2018, @04:59PM (1 child)
Medical Mechanica
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Thursday May 03 2018, @06:35PM
Call it: Facebook Data For Sail!
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 2) by canopic jug on Thursday May 03 2018, @02:53PM (1 child)
Already happened. The new company is called Emerdata.
The Register covered it a bit yesterday in Cambridge Analytica dismantled for good? Nope: It just changed its name to Emerdata [theregister.co.uk]. The snake just sloughs off old skin. Sometimes it's enough to change the company name, other times they have to spin up a whole new company. Something about that needds to be revised because it is so extensively abused.
Money is not free speech. Elections should not be auctions.
(Score: 2) by PiMuNu on Friday May 04 2018, @01:06PM
> Something about that needs to be revised because it is so extensively abused.
Well, the people running the company have not done anything legally wrong. So why should the board of that company, who have not broken any laws, not be allowed to start a new company?
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 03 2018, @02:58PM (1 child)
If I needed that service, the notoriety would be a feature. Similarly, I would choose Blackwater if I felt that some people needed killing.
It's not like ValueJet, which actually failed and thus needed to change their name. Cambridge Analytica succeeded, and the people unhappy with that are not customers.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by bob_super on Thursday May 03 2018, @05:24PM
They failed at staying discreet. People using their services do not want the bad publicity of being associated with that name.
That dealer still has the good product, but he had to change his car and distribution point to reduce visibility and protect his customers.
(Score: 2) by janrinok on Thursday May 03 2018, @03:19PM (4 children)
On the positive side, the UK Govt today announced that the people who ran CA are still being investigated and, if found guilty of an offence, face the appropriate punishment.
Privately, I suspect that the data has already been siphoned off to the new company and they will try very hard to lose the data that exists on their servers despite it having already been seized by the courts. But some might say I am just too cynical...
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Thursday May 03 2018, @05:39PM (1 child)
Nahhhhhh - if you were cynical, you'd know that the judge was already bought and paid for.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Thursday May 03 2018, @06:37PM
I'm cynical (which should be obvious by now). I think they will face the appropriate punishment. The paid for judge will decide what is appropriate.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 2) by AssCork on Thursday May 03 2018, @05:49PM (1 child)
if found guilty of an offence
Will. Never. Happen.
Least we forget; "Hi, the UK gov't would appreciate your assistance in our surveillance efforts".
Just popped-out of a tight spot. Came out mostly clean, too.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 03 2018, @05:56PM
They can't have another Conrad Black on their hands!! (think of your british nerd comedies)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 03 2018, @05:47PM (1 child)
Right. The key point here is that, at least with regards to their data processing, they were probably within the law. Legally this company can exist and make money. The issue is the branding, so it makes sense that they'd change it.
Even if you barred all the current employees from working for similar companies, those companies would still exist and would have a nice market hole to fill into. If you want to fix the problem you need to do something other than public lynching of a single company.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 04 2018, @02:52AM
Butbutbut, how will we violate the cows' privacy, then? No, this is the way to go. Nominate a scapegoat, lynch them, and the cows will settle back in. Then we can get back to turning Facebook into a mass surveillance and propaganda tool.
Oh, and make sure that Zuckerfuck knows that he can't ever fuck this up for us.
Now I'm hungry for burgers.