Blog Facabook data thieves Cambridge Analytica / SCL : How deep does the rabbit hole go?

Lots of red faces regarding Cambridge Analyticia / SCL
the company who were freely handed for money "stole" the data of 50 million users from facebook

Apparently the MOD in the UK paid them 190,000 for psychological profiling and modelling
regarding public responses to government propaganda messaging.

They even gave them "List X" status with access to secret government documents!!

MoD granted 'List X' status to Cambridge Analytica parent company

Also, apparently the government of Kiev in Ukraine hired them for strategy
in their attempts to bring Donesk under their control.
Cambridge Analytica’s Fascist Friends in Kiev are Feeling the Heat

And now it appears that the US government and NATO are also using them for the same psychological warfare stuff
in it's attempts to bully Russia

Meanwhile, the US State Department has a contract for $500,000 with SLC. According to an official, this was to provide “research and analytical support in connection with our mission to counter terrorist propaganda and disinformation overseas.” This was not the only work that SCL has been contracted for with the US government, the source added.

In May 2015, SCL Defense, another subsidiary of the umbrella organisation, received $1 million (CAD) to support NATO operations in Eastern Europe targeting Russia.

The company delivered a three-month course in Riga which taught “advanced counter-propaganda techniques designed to help member states assess and counter Russia’s propaganda in Eastern Europe”.

The NATO website said the “revolutionary” training would “help Ukrainians better defend themselves against the Russian threat”.

What is clear is that all of SCL’s activities were inextricably linked to its Cambridge Analytica arm.

Here is the anti trump "incompetence" spin that the Hillary crew have tried to put on this whole fuckup:
Cambridge Analytica and its many scandals, explained

However competent you believe they were at it, and whatever way you look at it, it still looks like nefarious governments around the world were trying to use this company for mass persuasion / dirty propaganda type shit and some of their dirty laundry is now coming up for scrutiny! LOLlllllllllllll

Kudos to Liam O Hare for reporting on this. Read his article here for
further interesting info on SCL/Cambridge Analytica including Tory government links(!) :
SCL – a Very British Coup

 

[jmcc]

I don't think that what they did is quite as simple as stealing the data in the traditional sense. The data was never protected in the first place and was publically available.

 

[GodsDog]

I don't think that what they did is quite as simple as stealing the data in the traditional sense. The data was never protected in the first place and was publically available.

Sure, whatever. Facebook likely knowingly sold/gave them access when given the nod from above to
and didn't really give a shit until they realised people were "mad as hell and not going to take it anymore"!

However that's not really the point here.
The point is what monkey business SCL are actually up to
with their data (however they got it) and which naughty little government monkeys
around the globe have their dirty little paws in it

here's another interesting post by Liam O Hare on the topic:
SCL and the Phantom Contract

 

[jmcc]

Sure, whatever. Facebook likely knowingly sold/gave them access when given the nod from above to
and didn't really give a shit until they realised people were "mad as hell and not going to take it anymore"!

The CA/FB thing seems to have replaced the Russians defeating HRC. FB has effectively built its business on opening up data to advertisers and others. As mobile devices started to become really popular due to always-on internet, this provided a lot more business for FB and app developers. However, the elephant in the room is still Google. It has far more pervasive data on people. The 50 million profiles isn't really all that much compared to the datasets that some advertisers and search engine operators build and continually update.

However that's not really the point here.
The point is what monkey business SCL are actually up to
with their data (however they got it) and which naughty little government monkeys
around the globe have their dirty little paws in it

The wonders of outsourcing. The politicians and governments don't have to accept the responsibility for their contractors.

[qupte]here's another interesting post by Liam O Hare on the topic:
SCL and the Phantom Contract[/QUOTE]Probably goes on all the time.

 

[GodsDog]

The CA/FB thing seems to have replaced the Russians defeating HRC. FB has effectively built its business on opening up data to advertisers and others. As mobile devices started to become really popular due to always-on internet, this provided a lot more business for FB and app developers. However, the elephant in the room is still Google. It has far more pervasive data on people. The 50 million profiles isn't really all that much compared to the datasets that some advertisers and search engine operators build and continually update.

The wonders of outsourcing. The politicians and governments don't have to accept the responsibility for their contractors.

here's another interesting post by Liam O Hare on the topic:
SCL and the Phantom Contract

Probably goes on all the time.

Yup, I agree re: google. People just have no idea how subtle and relentless their data gathering is

 

[GodsDog]

Now that they are in a position to, twitter are starting to shape the message too
Conservatives In An Uproar After Twitter Deploys Draconian Shadowban Filter

 

[jmcc]

Now that they are in a position to, twitter are starting to shape the message too
Conservatives In An Uproar After Twitter Deploys Draconian Shadowban Filter

All social media is subject to this kind of control.

 

[Superhans]

I would have hoped people were above being controlled by social media, Jesus I have adverts targetting me everyday bit I Ignore them, it seems sadly that I am one of the few and a good cohort of people are really convinced by social media and influenced by it.

 

[GodsDog]

I would have hoped people were above being controlled by social media, Jesus I have adverts targetting me everyday bit I Ignore them, it seems sadly that I am one of the few and a good cohort of people are really convinced by social media and influenced by it.

Yeah. Advertising NEVER affects me at all.
That's why corporations are willing to spend billions in hard cash on it every year
despite their research showing it as completely ineffective!!

Of course advertising and promoting a selective message preying on our human weaknesses works.
it works REALLY WELL!! Thats partly why we live in such a really shitty world.

 

[jmcc]

What makes Social Media so effective is not the advertising but the overwhelming need that most people have to want to belong to a group. Combine this with the "like" and retweet and it is instant validation/support. It effectively creates addicts who are always chasing more likes and retweets. Once the psychological profile of a person on SM is known, it is possible to target them far more effectively than with advertising alone.

 

[GodsDog]

What makes Social Media so effective is not the advertising but the overwhelming need that most people have to want to belong to a group. Combine this with the "like" and retweet and it is instant validation/support. It effectively creates addicts who are always chasing more likes and retweets. Once the psychological profile of a person on SM is known, it is possible to target them far more effectively than with advertising alone.

Yep!

Ex-Facebook president Sean Parker: site made to exploit human 'vulnerability'

 

[Count Bobulescu]

I would have hoped people were above being controlled by social media, Jesus I have adverts targetting me everyday bit I Ignore them, it seems sadly that I am one of the few and a good cohort of people are really convinced by social media and influenced by it.[/QUOTE]

Particularly if they are psychologically classified as dark triad, which seems to be exacerbated by SM.

Dark triad - Wikipedia