New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has initiated a preliminary inquiry in Facebook data breach by British firms Cambridge  Analytica and Global Science Research, sources said on Wednesday.

Agency sources said that the CBI has initiated preliminary inquiry into the matter of data thefts of Indians from Facebook by Cambridge Analytica and Global Science Research.

The enquiry was initiated by the CBI after receiving a reference from the centre in this regard.

In March, Minister for communication and information technology Ravi Shankar Prasad said the Government would initiate an enquiry into the alleged harvesting of data of 50 million Facebook users by Cambridge Analytica, the British consulting company, without their permission.

UNI