Friday, March 23, 2018

Cambridge Analytica and the X List?

The latest update on the Cambridge Analytica data-protection crisis makes for some very disturbing reading. I came across a Twitter comment last night which then led me to the website of "Bella Caledonia" online magazine... this is what they have discovered about the explosive data-harvesting saga...

"SCL Group says on its website that it provides “data, analytics and strategy to governments and military organizations worldwide.”

The organisation boasts that it has conducted “behavioral change programs” in over 60 countries and its clients have included the British Ministry of Defence, the US State Department and NATO.

A freedom of information request from August 2016, shows that the MOD has twice bought services from Strategic Communication Laboratories in recent years.

In 2010/11, the MOD paid £40,000 to SCL for the “provision of external training”. Meanwhile, in 2014/2015, it paid SCL £150,000 for the “procurement of target audience analysis”.

In addition, SCL also carries a secret clearance as a ‘list X’ contractor for the MOD. A List X site is a commercial site on British soil that is approved to hold UK government information marked as ‘confidential’ and above. Essentially, SCL got the green light to hold British government secrets on its premises.

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”.

http://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2018/03/20/scl-a-very-british-coup/

Tonight, after a judge finally granted access, enforcement officers, from the Information Commissioner's Office were sent into the CA premises to gather what they can - Not much it would seem, as several media outlets showed pictures from earlier yesterday of unmarked crates being removed from the location.
55 New Oxford Street, London
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/23/judge-grants-search-warrant-for-cambridge-analyticas-offices
The story continues...

2 comments:

Maria Rigel said...

There's an awful lot of disturbing stuff about SCL when you start researching them. Including the fact that SCL elections were involved in UK election campaigns from 1995 to 2010, according to their own site in 2010. And remember the odd result in 2015? In particular, the extremely odd tactic of the Tories to try to steal seats from Lib Dem constituencies, which if failed, would practically guarantee some very bad blood for a potential coalition? Except that it succeeded. Even in the constituency of Norman Baker, which nobody believed they could take. Makes you wonder what access to what info and what advertising tactics were employed, that they were comfortable with that strategy.

... said...

I have wondered just how far back this goes because it seems to encompass a lot of "events"... Feels like the manipulation is very deeply embedded in everything that has been happening, especially in UK politics. All very very suspicious... shockingly so.

Daily I'm hearing of others who have paid CA(SCL) Obama for example is another name on the list today