Facebook investigating employee's links to Cambridge Analytica

Facebook told CNN it is looking into ties between one of its current employees and Cambridge Analytica, the controversial data firm that worked for Donald Trump's presidential campaign and was suspended by Facebook on Friday.

Joseph Chancellor, now a researcher at Facebook (FB), was a director of Global Science Research, a company that provided data to Cambridge Analytica. The New York Times and The Observer newspaper in London reported Saturday that Cambridge Analytica harvested information on 50 million Facebook users.

The revelations have prompted renewed scrutiny of how Facebook was used to reach and influence voters ahead of the 2016 US presidential election.

"Joseph Chancellor is an employee of Facebook. We are looking into the situation," a spokesperson for Facebook told CNN.

On Friday, Facebook announced it was suspending Cambridge Analytica and data scientist Aleksandr Kogan, Chancellor's former business colleague, from using its platform while it investigates.

More: http://money.cnn.com/2018/03/18/technology/business/facebook-cambridge-analytica/index.html?sr=twCNN031818business0419PMStory

Flynn files amended disclosure report showing additional payments

Michael Flynn, who served briefly as President Trump’s national security adviser, filed an amended federal financial disclosure report late Thursday providing new details about his contracts with the Trump presidential transition, a company connected to an Iranian American businessman, and the parent company of a data science firm that worked for the Trump campaign.

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In addition to the Russia-related income, Thursday’s filing showed that Flynn received at least $5,000 as a consultant to a project to build nuclear power plants in the Middle East. Flynn’s work on that project had been disclosed previously, but it was not known that he was paid.

The updated disclosure also confirms that Flynn had agreed to work with the SCL Group, at the time the British parent company of Cambridge Analytica, a data science company hired by Donald Trump’s campaign. One of Cambridge’s main financiers is hedge fund magnate Robert L. Mercer, whose daughter Rebekah is an influential conservative donor.

The Washington Post reported in February that Flynn had been hired as an adviser to SCL Group. Flynn was tapped to help the American subsidiary of SCL win new U.S. government contracts, according to people familiar with his role. SCL also hired one of Flynn’s former colleagues from Office of the Director of National Intelligence to lead its government contracting efforts. Flynn received no compensation from SCL and performed no actual work, according to a person familiar with his activities.

More here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/flynn-files-amended-disclosure-report-showing-additional-payments/2017/08/03/c76180c8-78a4-11e7-9eac-d56bd5568db8_story.html?utm_term=.468c50645994

Trump has always seen what he can get away with, and when there are no lasting consequences, he presses on further. Right now, he’s testing what Hill Rs will let him get away with re Mueller. And so far there’s silence from leadership.
https://twitter.com/maggieNYT/status/975420302623756288

Important Gowdy admits Americans should not trust House Intel Comm review of Russia collusion—should trust Mueller instead: House Commtee is “what you should NOT have confidence in. Have confidence in the Exec Branch investigations and if Mueller finds stuff, more power to him”
https://twitter.com/rgoodlaw/status/975388525226053632
Trey Gowdy: “Executive Branch investigations have more credibility, they have more tools and that’s what I think my fellow citizens ought to be waiting for and have confidence in. Not congressional investigations that are run by guys running for the Senate in California…" 2/3

Gowdy is admitting all this after Chris Wallace pressed him on the fact that the House Intelligence Committee did not interview Flynn, Manafort, Gates, Papadopoulos (and Gowdy adds: we didn't interview Manafort either). 3/3

Exclusive: Sources contradict Sessions' testimony he opposed Russia outreach
Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ testimony that he opposed a proposal for President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign team to meet with Russians has been contradicted by three people who told Reuters they have spoken about the matter to investigators with Special Counsel Robert Mueller or congressional committees.

Sessions testified before Congress in November 2017 that he “pushed back” against the proposal made by former campaign adviser George Papadopoulos at a March 31, 2016 campaign meeting. Then a senator from Alabama, Sessions chaired the meeting as head of the Trump campaign’s foreign policy team.

“Yes, I pushed back,” Sessions told the House Judiciary Committee on Nov. 14, when asked whether he shut down Papadopoulos’ proposed outreach to Russia. Sessions has since also been interviewed by Mueller.

Three people who attended the March campaign meeting told Reuters they gave their version of events to FBI agents or congressional investigators probing Russian interference in the 2016 election. Although the accounts they provided to Reuters differed in certain respects, all threes, who declined to be identified, said Sessions had expressed no objections to Papadopoulos’ idea.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-sessions-exclusive/exclusive-sources-contradict-sessions-testimony-he-opposed-russia-outreach-idUSKBN1GU0NC

Trump’s Data Gurus Are Now Turning Their Attention To Your TV

Cambridge Analytica is eyeing targeted TV ads and mobile apps alongside some surprising allies.

Cambridge Analytica, the Anglo-American data and behavioral science firm that worked for Ted Cruz and Donald Trump–and that sparked an investigation in the U.K. and inquiries by U.S. lawmakers–has announced two initiatives in the past year that highlight some of the newer techniques in targeted advertising and the complex relationships that surround them.

Since last year’s presidential campaigns, the company has sought to expand further into targeted, or addressable, TV, an emerging type of data-driven ad technology that marketers and political campaigns can use to know not just what key audiences and voters like on TV and in other media, but also to determine what particular messages to show them and when.

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Charlie Ergen, founder of the broadcast satellite company Dish and the satellite equipment maker EchoStar, is said to be the richest man in Colorado, with a reported net worth of $18.8 billion. He is also a registered Democrat who was once a bundler for long-time friend John McCain ahead of his presidential bid in 2008. In 2016, Ergen and his wife hosted Clinton for a fundraiser at their home, where the candidate collected at least $750,000.

Last October, as part of the partnership with ComScore, viewer data from 52,000 households, including some Dish households, was set to eventually flow to Cambridge Analytica. ComScore taps Dish data thanks to ComScore’s acquisition of analytics company Rentrak, in January 2016. Dish has had close ties with Rentrak since 2008, and, after it acquired 7% of the company in 2012, it agreed to provide Rentrak with exclusive use of its set top box data.

“DISH is a major partner that helped us change the measurement landscape by allowing massive and passive television measurement across a national footprint,” comScore’s CEO, Serge Matta, said in a 2016 statement. A spokesperson for ComScore was unable to describe the outcome of the Cambridge Analytica partnership. Representatives for Cambridge Analytica and Dish declined to comment for this story.

More: https://www.fastcompany.com/40477438/cambridge-analytica-has-your-tv-in-mind-and-an-unlikely-ally

Pat Leahy is calling on Chuck Grassley to hold a hearing on White House politicization of the DOJ’s Russia probe. Leahy writes a note at the bottom of his letter to Grassley: “Chuck — it is serious”
https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/975110855917481984

Whistleblower reveals to Channel 4 News data grab of 50 million Facebook profiles by Cambridge Analytica – data firm linked to Trump win




17 Mar 2018
Whistleblower reveals to Channel 4 News data grab of 50 million Facebook profiles by Cambridge Analytica – data firm linked to Trump win
Andy Davies Home Affairs Correspondent

The British data firm described as “pivotal” in Donald Trump’s presidential victory was behind a ‘data grab’ of more than 50 million Facebook profiles, a whistleblower has revealed to Channel 4 News.

In part one of Channel 4 News’ ‘Data, Democracy and Dirty Tricks’ investigation, in an exclusive television interview, Chris Wylie, former Research Director at Cambridge Analytica tells all.

In collaboration with the Observer newspaper.

More video: https://www.channel4.com/news/cambridge-analytica-facebook-profiles-whistleblower-chris-wylie-election