Facebook is not the only social media which sold its data to Cambridge Analytica, but Twitter had also sold users' data access to the company without users consent, The Sunday Telegraph reported.
According to the Twitter, they sold public data access in 2015 to Aleksandr Kogan, a psychology researcher with University of Cambridge who created personality quiz on Facebook to gather information later used by Cambridge Analytica. Later, he established his own company Global Science Research (GSR). His firm was granted access to large-scale public Twitter data.
“In 2015, GSR did have one-time API access to a random sample of public tweets from a five-month period from December 2014 to April 2015,” Twitter said in a statement to Bloomberg. “Based on the recent reports, we conducted our own internal review and did not find any access to private data about people who use Twitter.”
Kogan said that they used Twitter data only to create “brand reports” and “survey extender tools,” and they had not violated Twitter’s policies.
While Twitter emphasis that they did not find any access to private information. Now, they have banned GSR and Cambridge Analytica from buying data or running adverts on the website.
“Twitter has also made the policy decision to off-board advertising from all accounts owned and operated by Cambridge Analytica. This decision is based on our determination that Cambridge Analytica operates using a business model that inherently conflicts with acceptable Twitter Ads business practices. Cambridge Analytica may remain an organic user on our platform, in accordance with the Twitter Rules,” The Telegraph reported.
Moreover, Cambridge Analytica tweeted that the data obtained by Kogan/GSR from Twitter was never purchased or used by Cambridge Analytica.
"Cambridge Analytica has never received Twitter data from GSR or Aleksandr Kogan and has never done any work with GSR on Twitter data. GSR was only ever a contractor to Cambridge Analytica and we understand it did work for many other companies," Cambridge Analytica tweeted.
According to the Twitter, they sold public data access in 2015 to Aleksandr Kogan, a psychology researcher with University of Cambridge who created personality quiz on Facebook to gather information later used by Cambridge Analytica. Later, he established his own company Global Science Research (GSR). His firm was granted access to large-scale public Twitter data.
“In 2015, GSR did have one-time API access to a random sample of public tweets from a five-month period from December 2014 to April 2015,” Twitter said in a statement to Bloomberg. “Based on the recent reports, we conducted our own internal review and did not find any access to private data about people who use Twitter.”
Kogan said that they used Twitter data only to create “brand reports” and “survey extender tools,” and they had not violated Twitter’s policies.
While Twitter emphasis that they did not find any access to private information. Now, they have banned GSR and Cambridge Analytica from buying data or running adverts on the website.
“Twitter has also made the policy decision to off-board advertising from all accounts owned and operated by Cambridge Analytica. This decision is based on our determination that Cambridge Analytica operates using a business model that inherently conflicts with acceptable Twitter Ads business practices. Cambridge Analytica may remain an organic user on our platform, in accordance with the Twitter Rules,” The Telegraph reported.
Moreover, Cambridge Analytica tweeted that the data obtained by Kogan/GSR from Twitter was never purchased or used by Cambridge Analytica.
"Cambridge Analytica has never received Twitter data from GSR or Aleksandr Kogan and has never done any work with GSR on Twitter data. GSR was only ever a contractor to Cambridge Analytica and we understand it did work for many other companies," Cambridge Analytica tweeted.