By: Obbana Rajah
Fake news and the havoc that it can wreak has been all the rage these days. Right in the middle of this: Cambridge Analytica.
A British broadcaster, Channel 4, released a video showing Cambridge Analytica’s CEO, Alexander Nix being filmed while talking about using sex workers to gain votes.
The data analysis firm has been heavily under fire for possibly being involved in US President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign, Facebook’s data leak and Malaysia’s 2013 polls.
Alexander Nix, and the company he is CEO of, are infamous for using underhand tactics to manipulate people into voting a certain way.
In the video, a Channel 4 reporter posed as an operative for a wealthy client hoping to get candidates elected in Sri Lanka. In a ploy to defame candidates and to deter people from voting for them, Alexander Nix suggested framing these candidates with sex workers, “Send some girls around to the candidate’s house, we have lots of history of things,” he said. “We could bring some Ukrainians in on holiday with us, you know what I’m saying”, Nix told Channel 4’s undercover reporter about his honey-traps.
Ironically, when commenting on manipulating and blackmailing candidates, Nix also adds, “You know these sort of tactics are very effective, instantly having video evidence of corruption”.
Cambridge Analytica is known for using online data to pinpoint target groups and design specific messages to cater to these groups, in a form of individualised advertising.
In the video, Nix can be seen rather proudly advocating for his very questionable tactics, “Deep digging is interesting, but you know equally effective can be just to go and speak to the incumbents and to offer them a deal that’s too good to be true and make sure that that’s video recorded”.
Both Cambridge Analytica and its CEO Alexander Nix still remain under much fire, as their involvement in worldwide political elections are investigated.
Channel 4’s Video: