Cambridge Analytica scam: Whistleblower says group worked with Indian politicians


New Delhi, Mar 28 (IANS): Christopher Wylie, who blew the lid off the Facebook user personal data being illegally used for political purposes, on Wednesday said his former employer Cambridge Analytica had an Indian arm and conducted election research on behalf of some parties including the Janata Dal-United (JD-U), now a BJP ally, for "desired outcome".

Wylie said SCL Group, the parent organisation of Cambridge Analytica, has its office headquartered in Indirapuram in Ghaziabad and its regional offices in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Cuttack, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Indore, Kolkata, Patna and Pune.

"I've been getting a lot of requests from Indian journalists. So here are some of SCL's past projects in India. To the most frequently asked question - yes, SCL/CA works in India and has offices there. This is what modern colonialism looks like," Wylie tweeted.

He posted two pictures of what looks like slides of a pitch presentation of SCL India explaining its national experience in the country.

It said the company has a database of over 600 districts and seven lakh villages. But it didn't identify the source of the database or whether it was collected from any social media sites.

"Our micro-level information includes household level demographics, specifically focussing on caste data, linked to online mapping applications."

The SCL India, according to the tweeted document, helped clients to identify and target key groups within the population "to effectively influence their behaviour to realize a desired outcome".

It explained that SCL provided its clients the research to develop and "disseminate the right messages from the right sources using the right communication channels".

It said in 2011, SCL India undertook a state-wide research campaign to identify voter caste by household.

"This booth level polling data formed the basis of further research into swing voter motivation and supporter mobilization strategies which were presented to individual candidates and tailored to their constituencies."

During the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, SCL India managed the campaign of a number of Lok Sabha candidates.

"The research and campaign teams employed SCL India's proprietary data collection methodologies to form strategies that gave the clients successful election campaigns."

In the 2010 Bihar electons, SCL India was asked to provide electoral research and strategy for the JD-U of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

"SCL undertook a behavioural research programme targeting over 75 per cent of households to assist the client in not only identifying the correct battlegrounds but also the right audiences, messages and, most importantly, the right castes to target with their campaigns."

In the 2007 Uttar Pradesh polls, SCL India carried out a full political survey on behalf of a "major party" which the document didn't name.

"The research included a party audit and a state-wide census of politically active individuals using in-depth interviews to assess the satisfaction levels of party workers at booth level."

It said SCL India also carried out a psephological study and opinion polling for a "national party to identify swing voters".

"This was followed by more in-depth analysis of the behavioural dynamics at work in key seats which in turn informed the party's efforts to ensure a local structure and communication strategy that matched the caste make-up and attitudinal positions of the pre-identified swing population."

The SCL India carried out research for a "major state party" in Rajasthan in 2003. Its other projects included psephological studies and behavioural polling in Delhi and Chhattisgarh.

The document also said the company undertook research communication campaign to support a trans-national programme four countering the non-desired behaviour of recruitment into and support of "violent jihadism".

The project was conducted in Kerala, West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh in 2007. However, it didn't say for whom the project was conducted.

Wylie, 28, was the Director of Research at Cambridge Analytica. He accused the data analytics firm having influenced the result of the United Kingdom's 2016 Brexit referendum and of the 2016 American presidential election that brought Donald Trump to the White House.

Speaking to the British MPs on Tuesday, Wylie said Cambridge Analytica worked extensively in India and that he believed the Congress was its one of the clients.

  

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Comment on this article

  • Ritesh, Mangalore

    Wed, Mar 28 2018

    This whistleblower Christipher Wylie is sacked from Cambridge Analytical for his fraud and criminal background. He is wearing a nose ring, ear rings and pink coloured hair like a street thug while in parliamentary inquiry in UK and many have raised questions about the validity of his report because as a jobless he is in dire need of money to survive so this is an alternative way to cash in on hot baked news. Needless to say BJP will find thier likes now at hour of need.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [1] Reply Report Abuse

  • Ramesh S, MANGALORE

    Wed, Mar 28 2018

    ..During testimony infront of UK Govt, they said CA worked "effectively" in India with an office and staff there and client was Congress".. Christopher Wylie, a former employee of Cambridge Analytica, told the that Mr. Dan Muresan, who had worked on the Indian project, was suspected to have been poisoned eventually died in his Kenyan hotel room..poor guy didnt thought he was working for mafia,,

    DisAgree [4] Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse

  • Roshan, Mangaluru

    Wed, Mar 28 2018

    It is quite interesting to note the said Whistleblower, who introduced himself as a co-founder, his own company claims, he just worked for couple of months and never been a founder.

    These days any tom-dick-harry can come with a statement, if it indicts congress they are hero overnight, with TV chnls like Times of India, Republic TV to run to their house to take interview. With his or her statement, there will be endless debates to say congress has duped India. The same channels don't even dare to ask was BJP their client, because the same site indicates BJP too was its client. That shows the interest of the TV channel to bring out the real truth. It just shows who the TV anchor and journalist working for. If they are really for truth, they will take a step ahead and verify whose claims are real.

    Nevertheless they broke the story. Now , the same institute claiming the so called whistleblower was Mr.nobody to the same firm. Does the channel seek apology? no. Their job is done.

    DisAgree Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse

  • D.Shetty, Mangalore

    Wed, Mar 28 2018

    .this is what it is...some media house don't want to mention congress and tarnish BJP whatever reason....After mentioning the Congress as one of his clients in his testimony on Tuesday, today’s document states how the now disgraced firm provided “electoral research and strategy for the 2010 state elections….for a "desired outcome" for the JD(U). JD(U) is now ally of the BJP in Bihar but then it was with UPA... so its clear UPA strategy divide india and rule...

    DisAgree [5] Agree [7] Reply Report Abuse

  • Ramesh S, MANGALORE

    Wed, Mar 28 2018

    ..even he said, their one of employee who worked in INDIA was poisioned & murdered in Kenya Hotel in 2012 (UPA was in power back then)..but drag BJP name..

    DisAgree [6] Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • Swamy, Mangalore

    Wed, Mar 28 2018

    This fraud whistleblower may also say Gandhi was assassinated by congress, Babri mosque was demolished by congress, Gujrat riots of 2003 are during congress rule in Gujrat. Moral police is congress organization, cow vigilantes are congress activists. Any non congress parties are filing a case against congress in international court of justice or in any indian courts? No, because it's not a valid piece of evidence and all non congress activists very well know about it. It's just a election gimmick.
    Parrot is talking a parrot talk as the master feeds.

    DisAgree [7] Agree [10] Reply Report Abuse

  • Ramesh S, MANGALORE

    Wed, Mar 28 2018

    SHAHID, Shirva..did you read report correctly..if not read it..it happend during Congress rule, by Congress... Congress party was named in UK hearing also..JDU was with Congress when they collided with this agency..just look how Congress decieved Indians all these years..fake case, fake evidences, faeke news..now they trying to impeach CJI also..

    DisAgree [11] Agree [12] Reply Report Abuse

  • Ganapathy, Mangalore

    Wed, Mar 28 2018

    This whistleblower is a paid person updates his statement every time as per weight of cash on his palm.

    DisAgree [3] Agree [7] Reply Report Abuse

  • SHAHID, SHIRVA

    Wed, Mar 28 2018

    BAN BJP YE DESH DROHI PARTY HE...

    DisAgree [10] Agree [13] Reply Report Abuse

  • Rathan, Mangalore

    Wed, Mar 28 2018

    baap Ka Raj hai kya ?dum hai tho ban Karke dekho

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse


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