Dear Commons Communty,
The story of Cambridge Analytica, is not going away. Yesterday it was announced that the political research group linked to President Donald Trump’s campaign, suspended CEO Alexander Nix after British media revealed a series of alarming comments the company’s executives had made about techniques it used to sway international elections. As reported by various media:
In an investigation by Britain’s Channel 4 News published Monday, Nix was recorded bragging that his company had managed to influence more than 200 elections around the world.
The Cambridge Analytica execs admitted in phone conversations with a Channel 4 reporter posing as a client that they manufactured damaging stories about opposing political candidates. Nix said his company is “used to operating through different vehicles, in the shadows.” He also bragged about sending Ukrainian sex workers to seduce the candidates, but Turnbull said the company wasn’t in the business of “entrapment” or “lying.”
In a statement, the company said Nix’s suspension “reflects the seriousness with which we view” his comments.
Alexander Tayler, the company’s chief data officer, will step in for Nix while the company launches an investigation.
The company is currently under fire on both sides of the Atlantic for possibly misusing Facebook users’ personal data.
Facebook acknowledged Friday in a statement that it had suspended Cambridge Analytica as it continued to investigate how the firm might have violated users’ privacy. The following morning, The New York Times and The Observer of London published a bombshell joint investigation into the group’s practices. The outlets alleged, through whistleblower Christopher Wylie ― who helped found Cambridge Analytica ― that the company harvested personal data from more than 50 million Facebook users for political purposes.”
It needs to be mentioned that Cambridge Analytica was founded by Mercer family members who are major supporters of right-wing causes and who donated heavily to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
Tony
