UK: Cambridge Analytica suspends CEO

By Muhammad Mussa

LONDON (AA) - Controversial data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica have suspended CEO Alexander Nix and launched an independent investigation surrounding his role in a mass data breach revealed earlier this week.

“The Board of Cambridge Analytica has announced today that it has suspended CEO Alexander Nix with immediate effect, pending a full, independent investigation” the firm said in a press release.

“In the view of the Board, Mr. Nix’s recent comments secretly recorded by Channel 4 and other allegations do not represent the values or operations of the firm and his suspension reflects the seriousness with which we view this violation,” it added.

British broadcaster Channel 4 on Monday aired a documentary in which undercover reporters and journalists recorded Nix and other Cambridge Analytica employees describe and explain in detail how they were able to harvest more than 50 million Facebook profiles and access private information to influence political opinion and elections.

“The Board will be monitoring the situation closely ... to ensure that Cambridge Analytica, in all of its operations, represents the firm’s values and delivers the highest-quality service to its clients,” said the statement.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has also been requested by lawmakers in the U.S. and U.K. to testify before investigative committees regarding Facebook’s role in the data breach.

Zuckerberg has yet to respond, and Facebook’s shares have plummeted since the revelations.