Even if a summons (or a bailable warrant) is sent by India through the right channels, with all the necessary documents, there’s no guarantee that it will even be sent to Zuckerberg. However, requests under an MLAT are generally meant to be complied with, and only refused in limited circumstances like political offences, or where the law of the ‘requested state’ wouldn’t allow compliance.

So let’s be optimistic and say that the request is granted, and the summons is served to him. What happens then? Does he have to promptly book the next flight to India?

Well, not quite. The Indian government reportedly sent a notice to Cambridge Analytica on Friday, asking whether the data of any Indian citizens was compromised — though this has not been specified to be under any legal provision, and it is unclear what legal provision would even apply to CA. However, this is reflective of the fact that in the event the Indian government does want to look into any data theft, it will need to make inquiries, ask questions and collect evidence.