Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal: A case for data protection reform

One should recall the Supreme Court's privacy judgment that emphasised on the importance of consent and limiting use of data

The recent judgment of the Supreme Court, which declared privacy a fundamental right, noted: “Knowledge about a person gives a power over that person. The personal data collected is capable of effecting representations, influencing decision making processes and shaping behaviour.” With the unearthing of the Cambridge Analytica (CA) scandal, this is truer than ever. While the debate continues regarding the degree to which CA’s actions have influenced elections worldwide and the form in which the data was shared, undeniably, there has been misuse of data.

It was recently discovered that data of approximately 50 million users of a social media