Facebook website. After much prodding and reporting the Information Commissioner's Office today said it was launching an investigation into how data analytics, especially from platforms like Facebook, is being used for political purposes.
The ICO's investigation could have huge consequences for how political parties conduct campaigning online. Guidelines so far have been so sparse that many see it as 'free for all' and money has poured into data analytics to influence elections.
The ‘formal investigation’, as the ICO calls it, will also look at the privacy implications that have arisen from companies spending millions of pounds to learn and understand the political habits of voters.
