Cambridge Analytica is shutting down after Facebook data controversy

Cambridge Analytica, the firm that used data from millions of Facebook users without their knowledge, said Wednesday that it is “immediately ceasing all operations.” The firm worked for President Trump’s 2016 campaign.

SCL Elections Ltd., Cambridge Analytica’s U.K.-based parent firm, said the company had begun the process of filing for bankruptcy for Cambridge Analytica and some of its U.S. affiliates, and was moving to apply for insolvency in the U.K.

“Over the past several months,” the company said in a statement, “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 said it had “unwavering confidence that its employees have acted ethically and lawfully” after an internal investigation but that a barrage of negative media coverage drove away “virtually all” of Cambridge Analytica’s customers and suppliers.

In March, Britain’s Channel 4 exposed Cambridge Analytica’s stealthy means of supporting clients.

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