Image copyright Reuters Image caption Cambridge Analytica's name has already been taken down from the wall of the London office it occupied

Cambridge Analytica, the political consultancy at the centre of the Facebook data-sharing scandal, is shutting down.

The firm was accused of improperly obtaining personal information on behalf of political clients.

According to Facebook, data about up to 87 million of its members was harvested by a quiz app and then passed on to the political consultancy.

The social network said its own probe into the matter would continue.

"This doesn't change our commitment and determination to understand exactly what happened and make sure it doesn't happen again," said a spokesman.

"We are continuing with our investigation in cooperation with the relevant authorities."

What are the accusations against Cambridge Analytica?

The company has been accused of using the personal data of millions of Facebook users to sway the outcome of the US 2016 presidential election and the UK Brexit referendum.

In March, Channel 4 aired undercover footage of Cambridge Analytica's CEO, Alexander Nix, giving examples of how the firm could swing elections around the world with underhand tactics such as smear campaigns and honey traps.

The UK-based company, which denies any wrongdoing, has an extensive record of working abroad on many election campaigns, including in Italy, Kenya and Nigeria.

Why does it say it is shutting?

Clarence Mitchell, a spokesman for Cambridge Analytica, referred the BBC to a statement on the firm's website.

"Over the past several months, Cambridge Analytica has been the subject of numerous unfounded accusations and, despite the company's efforts to correct the record, has been vilified for activities that are not only legal, but also widely accepted as a standard component of online advertising in both the political and commercial arenas," it said.

"Despite Cambridge Analytica's unwavering confidence that its employees have acted ethically and lawfully... the siege of media coverage has driven away virtually all of the company's customers and suppliers.

"As a result, it has been determined that it is no longer viable to continue operating the business."

The statement added that its parent company SCL Elections was also commencing bankruptcy proceedings.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Cambridge Analytica's chief executive Alexander Nix was suspended two months ago

The sting in the tail

By the BBC's technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones, in California

When the news of Cambridge Analytica's demise broke here at Facebook's F8 developer conference, it is safe to say few tears were shed.

The scandal over data misuse has been a crisis not just for Facebook but for the thousands of external developers whose access to data has been curbed in response to the affair.

But if they were tempted to celebrate there was a sting in the tail in the political consultancy's statement. It claimed that what it did was not only legal but was standard practice in the world of online advertising.

That rang true to some people in this world and there may be more evidence of such practices as Facebook continues its audit of apps.

Cambridge Analytica may be gone but as more stones are lifted there may be more unpleasant surprises to come about the use and misuse of personal data.

Is this the end?

The UK's Financial Times newspaper says it has spoken to another ex-employee of Cambridge Analytica, on condition of anonymity, who said they were sure the company would emerge "in some other incarnation or guise".

The Observer journalist whose investigation first exposed the data privacy scandal has suggested that the public remain sceptical.

The chair of a UK parliament committee investigating the firm's activities also raised concerns about Cambridge Analytica and SCL Elections' move.

"They are party to very serious investigations and those investigations cannot be impeded by the closure of these companies," said Damian Collins MP.

"I think it's absolutely vital that the closure of these companies is not used as an excuse to try and limit or restrict the ability of the authorities to investigate what they were doing."

Skip Twitter post by @DamianCollins Cambridge Analytica and SCL group cannot be allowed to delete their data history by closing. The investigations into their work are vital — Damian Collins (@DamianCollins) May 2, 2018 Report

What action had it taken already?

Cambridge Analytica's chief executive Alexander Nix was suspended in March after the Channel 4 News footage was aired.

Last month, Cambridge Analytica said it had only licensed 30 million records belonging to US citizens from the quiz app's creator Dr Aleksandr Kogan, and that they had not been used in the US presidential election.

The firm added that it had since deleted all the information despite claims to the contrary by others.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg has said the privacy scandal was a "breach of trust"

Who funded Cambridge Analytica?

One of Cambridge Analytica's major investors is the US hedge fund billionaire Robert Mercer.

He is said to have put $15m (£11m) into the business, according to the Guardian.

Mr Mercer, a former computer scientist, is also a major donor to the US Republican Party and helped support Donald Trump's election campaign.

He has never given an interview about his political views and is not thought to have commented publicly about the data-harvesting scandal.

What is the Brexit link?

Earlier on Wednesday, a cyber-security specialist presented evidence to the UK parliament's Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee.

Chris Vickery linked SCL and Cambridge Analytica to AggregateIQ - a Canadian data analytics firm, which Facebook has also suspended from using its platform.

He added that "beyond a shadow of a doubt" AggregateIQ had been involved in "some form of collaboration or co-ordination" between various pro-Brexit groups during the UK's EU referendum campaign.

AIQ denies ever being part of Cambridge Analytica, its parent company SCL or accessing improperly obtained Facebook data.

And representatives from Vote Leave and Leave.EU have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

But the Electoral Commission and Information Commissioner's Office are conducting their own investigations into the Canadian firm's operations.

The ICO has also issued a statement about Cambridge Analytica's closure.

"The ICO will continue its civil and criminal investigations and will seek to pursue individuals and directors as appropriate and necessary even where companies may no longer be operating," it said.

"We will also monitor closely any successor companies using our powers to audit and inspect, to ensure the public is safeguarded."

How the scandal unfolded

17 March: The Observer and the New York Times publish accounts by Cambridge Analytica's ex-employee Christopher Wylie, saying 50 million Facebook accounts were improperly harvested by the company

23 March: The UK's data watchdog is granted a warrant to search Cambridge Analytica's office

27 March: Christopher Wylie appears in front of a committee of UK MPs

4 April: Facebook says it now believes up to 87 million people's data was improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica

10 April: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is questioned by US lawmakers about the scandal

17 April: Alexander Nix, the former boss of Cambridge Analytica, refuses to appear before British MPs

26 April: The UK parliamentary committee threatens to issue Mark Zuckerberg with a "formal summons for him to appear when he is next in the UK" as questions remain unanswered

2 May: Cambridge Analytica announces its closure</s>Political analysis firm Cambridge Analytica has announced it is closing down following the scandal that involved data being harvested from millions of Facebook accounts.

The company admitted making mistakes over the misuse of data from Facebook accounts but said it had "unwavering confidence that its employees have acted ethically and lawfully."
• How to find out if your Facebook data was shared with Cambridge Analytica

A Cambridge Analytica statement said "the siege of media coverage has driven away virtually all of the Company's customers and suppliers."

It added:"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."</s>Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg have put a lot of effort into placing the blame on Cambridge Analytica and its associates. They've removed the data firm from its platform, as well others linked to it, like AggregateIQ, and have said over and over again how the policies that allowed for this particular incident to occur were fixed back in 2014. Even the tone of yesterday's F8 keynote was about moving on from Cambridge Analytica. While privacy was touched on at the beginning of Zuckerberg's talk, no new measures were discussed. He made sure to note how important it was to inform users of the company's privacy efforts before adding, "But we also have a responsibility to move forward." A responsibility to who is unclear.

Even if the problems that led to Cambridge Analytica's acquisition of so much data have been resolved (and that's a big if), we still have no idea how far they spread before being addressed. When asked during his Senate hearing what other firms researcher Aleksandr Kogan might have sold his trove of Facebook data to, Zuckerberg wasn't able to answer.

Similarly relevant questions also went unanswered when the UK's Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Parliamentary Committee posed them to Mike Schroepfer, Facebook's chief technology officer. After his testimony last week, the committee was left wondering how many developers Facebook took action against between 2011 and 2014. There are also questions surrounding the company's NDA with Kogan and whether it might prevent the company from taking legal action against him as well as who's leading the Cambridge Analytica investigation. And on top of all that, concerns abound over how many developers were using and selling data to third parties and if Cambridge Analytica shared data with AggregateIQ. All of which are incredibly important bits of information to know if one is to truly understand the scope of data leaked from Facebook and how much of it might still be in use elsewhere.

Facebook has said that it's conducting an audit of all of the apps that had access to large amounts of data prior to 2014 and any found to have violated its terms will be removed. But the company hasn't shared how this audit process works or how third-party investigators missed Cambridge Analytica's violations in the first place.

There are still more questions than answers. We have no real idea how big of a problem Facebook created for itself and its users -- and we won't know until it starts answering the pressing questions that just keep piling up.

The closing of Cambridge Analytica doesn't mean that much in the grand scheme of things. It's one company of who knows how many. And since an incredibly large magnifying glass had been placed over it in recent weeks, we were at least able to get a look at its practices. The others -- and there are surely others -- are still hiding in the shadows, representing an unknown that, for now, only Facebook can bring into the light. And I don't know about you, but I do not find it comforting to know that onus is on them.

For its part, Cambridge Analytica chose to double-down even as its walls were crumbling. In a statement today, the company said, "Over the past several months, Cambridge Analytica has been the subject of numerous unfounded accusations and, despite the Company's efforts to correct the record, has been vilified for activities that are not only legal, but also widely accepted as a standard component of online advertising in both the political and commercial arenas." It also released a report from an independent auditor who didn't find the accusations to be "borne out by the facts." And it looks like many of the main Cambridge Analytica players have already made moves towards a new venture.

Cambridge Analytica may be calling it quits, bowing out as customers flee and legal fees mount, but the fallout isn't over for Facebook. And it certainly isn't over for its users.</s>Cambridge Analytica Shuts Down in Wake of Facebook Data Scandal</s>British marketing research firm, Cambridge Analytica and its parent company, SCL Election, are shutting down operation after being caught in a major scandal of misusing users’ data obtained from Facebook.

In a press release late Wednesday, the firms blamed negative media coverage that followed revelations of their alleged misuse of over 15 million Facebook users’ data which they allegedly obtained from the social networking giant under false pretense.

Cambridge and SCL Elections “filed applications to commence insolvency proceedings in the U.K. The company is immediately ceasing all operations and the boards have applied to appoint insolvency practitioners Crowe Clark Whitehill LLP to act as the independent administrator for Cambridge Analytica,” the statement said.

The statement added that media “siege” had “driven away virtually all of the company’s customers and suppliers” and “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.”

Different accounts said it was possible that as many as 87 million users’ data might have been collected in the Facebook scandal linked to Cambridge Analytica in a ruthless bid to profile prospective voters and target them for campaign ads in several countries, especially the United States.

Internal company documents made public by some Cambridge Analytica former employees alleged that SCL Election was involved in questionable election practices in Nigeria since 2007.

During the 2015 elections, Cambridge allegedly deployed scare tactics to dissuade potential voters of Muhammadu Buhari after being contracted by an unnamed businessman with ties to then-incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan, the UK Guardian reported.

Mr Jonathan denied asking any businessman to contract Cambridge Analytica for him and also denied entering into any contract with the marketing firm.

The companies addressed the allegations contained in the wave of scrutiny they received, saying “Over the past several months, Cambridge Analytica has been the subject of numerous unfounded accusations and, despite the company’s efforts to correct the record, has been vilified for activities that are not only legal, but also widely accepted as a standard component of online advertising in both the political and commercial arenas.”

In further denying the allegations, the companies said an independent investigator who was hired to probe the companies’ practices found no wrongdoing.

“In light of those accusations, noted Queen’s Counsel Julian Malins was retained to conduct an independent investigation into the allegations regarding the company’s political activities. Mr Malins report, which the Company posted on its website today, concluded that the allegations were not ‘borne out by the facts.’ Regarding the conclusions set forth in his report, Mr Malins stated:

‘I had full access to all members of staff and documents in the preparation of my report. My findings entirely reflect the amazement of the staff, on watching the television programmes and reading the sensationalistic reporting, that any of these media outlets could have been talking about the company for which they worked. Nothing of what they heard or read resonated with what they actually did for a living,'” the statement said.

The company maintained its innocence but said it would shut down notwithstanding after losing all its clients and suppliers and discovered that its brand had been irreparably damaged.

“Despite the company’s precarious financial condition, Cambridge Analytica intends to fully meet its obligations to its employees, including with respect to notice periods, severance terms, and redundancy entitlements,” it said.</s>Cambridge Analytica, a political consulting firm, is reportedly shutting down following alleged misuse of Facebook data.

Update, 11:57 a.m. PT: It's official. Cambridge Analytica has confirmed it's shutting down operations and is going into insolvency in the US and UK. The shutdown is effective Wednesday.

In a release, Cambridge Analytica said, "the siege of media coverage has driven away virtually all of the company's customers and suppliers. 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."

Cambridge Analytica is at the center of a scandal that's stirred up two national governments and Facebook, the world's largest social network. Facebook banned the UK-based political data analysis firm last month, saying it had improperly received data from as many as 87 million user profiles.

The uproar over Facebook's data mining scandal prompted politicians to demand that Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testify to Congress last month. He faced more than 10 hours of hearings with three committees in the Senate and the House of Representatives over two days, during which he was grilled on everything from data privacy concerns, censorship and even how the Russian government manipulated Facebook to spread propaganda during the 2016 election.

Just yesterday, Cambridge Analytica tweeted a link to cambridgefacts.com, saying "Get the Facts Behind the Facebook Story." The site refutes much of the coverage the firm has received in light of the scandal.

In March, Cambridge Analytica suspended Chief Executive Alexander Nix after he and other senior executives at the firm were caught on video saying they'd go beyond using data to hurt a client's rival political candidate. Those tactics, Nix said in a report broadcast by the UK's Channel 4, included entrapping politicians to influence an election's outcome. Cambridge Analytica has ties to the Donald Trump campaign.

Neither Cambridge Analytica, nor its parent company SCL Group, immediately responded to a request for comment.

A Facebook representative said, "This doesn't change our commitment and determination to understand exactly what happened and make sure it doesn't happen again. We are continuing with our investigation in cooperation with the relevant authorities."

Cambridge Analytica had previously said it was launching an independent investigation into whether it was involved in any wrongdoing.

Cambridge Analytica: Everything you need to know about Facebook's data mining scandal.

iHate: CNET looks at how intolerance is taking over the internet.</s>Cambridge Analytica, the political-consulting firm at the center of a data-collection and privacy scandal, said it’s shutting down all operations and has begun insolvency proceedings in the U.K.

The data and advertising firm is also filing for bankruptcy in the U.S., according to a statement on Cambridge Analytica’s website. The company, which did work for U.S. President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign, said it lost "virtually all" customers and suppliers as a result of reports that it improperly obtained information from tens of millions of Facebook Inc. users. Cambridge Analytica has denied any wrongdoing.

"Over the past several months, Cambridge Analytica has been the subject of numerous unfounded accusations and, despite the company’s efforts to correct the record, has been vilified for activities that are not only legal, but also widely accepted as a standard component of online advertising in both the political and commercial arenas," the company said in the statement. "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."

The company said that despite its "precarious financial condition," it plans to meet all its obligations to employees.</s>Cambridge Analytica is closing its US offices in wake of the disclosure of its misuse of Facebook data, media reported. The company has filed for insolvency in the UK and will start bankruptcy proceedings in the US soon.

"Earlier today, SCL Elections Ltd., as well as certain of its and Cambridge Analytica LLC's UK affiliates (collectively, the "company" or "Cambridge Analytica") filed applications to commence insolvency proceedings in the UK," the company announced in a statement.

The statement said that "parallel bankruptcy proceedings will soon be commenced on behalf of Cambridge Analytica LLC and the certain of the company's US affiliates in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York."

All employees have been instructed to promptly turn in their computers and return their keycards, with the firm announcing that it will officially close its doors on Wednesday, the report said.

Facebook has acknowledged that Cambridge Analytica harvested the personal information of up to 87 million users of the social media site without the permission from the users.

READ MORE: UK Parl't Invites Zuckerberg to Give Evidence on Cambridge Analytica Case — MP

Cambridge Analytica is a private UK-based analytical company that uses in-depth data analysis technology to develop strategic communication during election campaigns on the Internet. The company has worked on various political campaigns, using the data to improve a mechanism that would predict and influence the behavior of voters.</s>Political data firm Cambridge Analytica is shutting down after the Facebook privacy debacle.

Cambridge Analytica was at the center of a data privacy firestorm involving its collection of up to 87 million Facebook users’ data and using the information for political campaigns, such as Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential run. The revelations by a former Cambridge Analytica employee turned whistleblower that the company used the data without Facebook users’ permission led to Facebook executives, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg, testifying in front of the U.S. Congress and the British Parliament.

Wednesday, Cambridge Analytica announced it will cease all operations and begin bankruptcy proceedings for its U.S. operations with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.

Cambridge Analytica confirmed Wednesday that it has shut down offices in London, New York City and Washington, D.C. Its employees were immediately ordered to turn in their computers, according the Wall Street Journal.

Cambridge Analytica said its demise stemmed from “numerous unfounded accusations,” and that it was painted as a villain by the media for “activities that are not only legal, but also widely accepted as a standard component of online advertising in both the political and commercial arenas.”

“Despite Cambridge Analytica’s unwavering confidence that its employees have acted ethically and lawfully … the siege of media coverage has driven away virtually all of the Company’s customers and suppliers,” the company said in its announcement. “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.”

SCL Group, the parent company of Cambridge Analytica, decided to pull the plug when the firm began to lose multiple clients after the Facebook fallout, according to the Journal.

Nigel Oakes, the founder of SCL Group, Cambridge Analytica’s British affiliate, said both companies were closing down, the Journal reported.

Cambridge Analytica’s former CEO, Alexander Nix, was suspended in March after the British television channel Channel 4 caught Nix saying in an undercover interview that his company used honey traps, bribes and prostitutes to influence elections across the globe.

In April, the company said it committed no wrongdoing in harvesting Facebook user data.

“The company has been portrayed as some Bond villain,” said company spokesman Clarence Mitchell in a press conference. “Cambridge Analytica is no Bond villain.”

Cambridge Analytica did not immediately respond to an email request and multiple phone calls to its commercial and political departments from this news organization.</s>Cambridge Analytica announced it is closing down operations as it was losing clients
Cambridge Analytica announces that it is closing down as a result of the scandal.