Data firm boss: We can use prostitutes to entrap politicians
The firm at the centre of the Facebook data harvesting row was hit by further scandal yesterday after bosses were secretly filmed claiming they could entrap politicians and used exspies to dig dirt on them.
The footage shows Cambridge analytica chief executive alexander nix bragging that the British firm covertly campaigns in elections worldwide, using shadowy front companies.
it raises further questions over Ca’s practices following allegations it gathered personal details from more than 50million Facebook accounts without users’ permission. a whistleblower claimed the firm used the data to build a powerful software program to predict and influence choices at the ballot box, particularly in the run-up to the 2016 US election.
during one filmed meeting, Mr nix appears to suggest Ca could compromise politicians by sending ‘beautiful’ Ukrainian sex workers to candidates’ houses.
discussing Ca’s ‘effective’ election tactics, he says they could film themselves posing as wealthy developers and encourage a politician to accept a bribe then put the footage on the internet.
Offering bribes to public officials is an offence in the UK, where Ca operates, and in the US, where it is registered.
information Commissioner elizabeth denham said she would apply for a search warrant against Ca as it had been ‘ uncooperative’. She said: ‘This is a complex and farreaching investigation … any criminal or civil enforcement actions arising from it will be pursued vigorously.’
The apparent admissions were shown in a Channel 4 investigation in which an undercover reporter posed as a fixer for a wealthy client hoping to get candidates elected in Sri lanka.
Between november 2017 and January, they filmed meetings with Mr nix, Ca Political Global’s Mark Turnbull, and chief data officer dr alex Tayler. The executives claimed Ca and parent firm Strategic Communications laboratories had worked in more than 200 elections, including in Kenya, the Czech Republic and india.
at one point, Mr Turnbull describes how, having obtained damaging material on opponents, Ca can discreetly push it on to social media and the internet.
he says ‘we just put information into the bloodstream of the internet, and then watch it grow, give it a little push every now and again … like a remote control. it has to happen without anyone thinking, “That’s propaganda”.’
Mr Turnbull said their influence would be ‘very, very, very discreet’ so ‘no record exists with our name attached’. he added that they have links to ‘specialist organisations … so you know who the opposition is, you know their secrets’.
When asked about digging up material on political opponents, Mr nix says they could ‘send some girls around to the candidate’s house’, adding that Ukrainian girls ‘are very beautiful, i find that works very well’.
Mr nix has been accused of misleading the Commons culture committee over the alleged Facebook data grab. he has denied the claims.
Ca told Channel 4: ‘ We entirely refute any allegation that Ca or any of its affiliates use entrapment, bribes or socalled honeytraps for any purpose … Ca does not use untrue material for any purpose.’