Cambridge Analytica headquarters evacuated after suspicious package found

The headquarters of Cambridge Analytica have been evacuated after a suspicious package was found.

Police closed off roads surrounding the building it shares with other firms in London's New Oxford Street as investigations continued.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said officers were called shortly before 1.30pm to reports of a suspicious package at Cambridge Analytica's offices.

“Officers attended and the package was assessed,” she added. “It was deemed not to be suspicious. No injuries were reported."

Some workers were shut inside their offices and nearby restaurants as investigations continued, with large numbers of police seen at the scene.

The security alert came as the firm is embroiled in an international scandal over data harvesting and privacy on Facebook.

Whistle-blower Christopher Wylie revealed that it took large amounts of information from users without consent using a “personality” app, prompting an apology from Mark Zuckerberg.

The Facebook founder said Cambridge Analytica had provided formal assurances that data harvested from 50 million profiles had been destroyed after the breach was revealed in 2015 but it was “clearly a mistake” to trust the firm.

"I'm used to when people legally certify that they are going to do something, that they do it,” Mr Zuckerberg told CNN.

The scandal deepened when Channel 4 released undercover footage showing claiming that they were involved with Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and could entrap rival politicians.

Cambridge Analytica has denied any wrongdoing and said conversations caught on camera were “grossly misrepresented”.

But it later suspended CEO Alexander Nix pending a full, independent investigation, saying his comments “do not represent the values or operations of the firm”.

Britain’s data watchdog, the Information Commissioner, has applied to the High Court for a warrant to search Cambridge Analytica’s files and servers and a hearing will take place on Friday.

Culture Secretary Matt Hancock told MPs that the “Wild West free-for-all of the internet companies” has to come to an end in light of the scandal, which he called a “turning point” in the privacy debate.

Labour MP Chi Onwurah called for the introduction of a “digital bill of rights”, adding: “It is increasingly clear that we need a new settlement with these big tech companies.”

Downing Street confirmed on Wednesday that the Government employed Cambridge Analytica parent company SCL for a contract with the Ministry of Defence, but said this had ended before the recent allegations came to light.

“We are looking across Government to see if there were any other contracts,” said a spokesman. “We are not aware of any current contracts.”

The Conservative Party said it had been approached by the firm with a pitch for work during David Cameron's leadership, but said this was rejected.