Cambridge Analytica Uncovered:

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13684 posts

Uber Geek

#1981399 22-Mar-2018 11:44

If you were to look at the impact from corporate misbehaviour/corruption, then in my opinion it's pretty clear that there's a war, and that the journalists are going to lose for many reasons. For example the VW emissions cheating scandal, they took a "big hit", but it's been mainly forgotten and out of the news, very carefully "damage controlled" - no doubt also using social media. There's no real political will (and political protection of economic interests), there seems to be an acceptance that "they all do it" (cheat and tell lies), so "get over it - move on".

I don't expect much more will come of Facebook's treachery, sure they have taken a hit (share price) but whether that cost is greater than the past increase in share price based on profit projections from mis-using mined data is moot. I don't expect there'll be a hell of a lot of political will by any who'd used CA (or others) to change or regulate.

Slowly, freedom is being eroded under the implication that "regulation hinders business, business is good for people, regulation is therefore bad".

Fred99

13684 posts

Uber Geek

#1981404 22-Mar-2018 11:53

An easy one for a journalist to check. There was a company registered in NZ on 26 Feb 2018 under the name SCL Analytics Limited - same name as the UK company affiliated to CA.

One shareholder and a registered office at a relatively obscure address. Why don't they chase that up and ask the NZ director what his company does? Could be irrelevant or nothing of interest at all, then again there might be a story in it.

SCL Group provides data, analytics and strategy to governments and military organizations worldwide. For over 25 years, we have conducted behavioral change programs in over 60 countries & have been formally recognized for our work in defense & social change.

At least when governments implement what's highlighted above there's some transparency / protections.

Rikkitic

Awrrr
18657 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#1981425 22-Mar-2018 12:15

`Do journalists still investigate anything? Most just seem to rewrite press releases.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

MikeAqua

7773 posts

Uber Geek

#1981426 22-Mar-2018 12:20

Fred99:

SCL Group provides data, analytics and strategy to governments and military organizations worldwide. For over 25 years, we have conducted behavioral change programs in over 60 countries & have been formally recognized for our work in defense & social change.

At least when governments implement what's highlighted above there's some transparency / protections.

It all depends on what they are actually doing. For example if the change was to reduce drink driving under a contract to NZTA ... I'm all for it.

If they are attempting to influence an election, in a way which would generally be illegal via another media e.g. in-country TV/radio/print ... I have a problem.

Social media is a challenging platform: It's spatially ambiguous, so which government has jurisdiction over it and where has an act actually been committed?

It has exponentially more contributors and pieces than conventional media. Detection is challenging.

It provides anonymity. Enforcement is difficult.

It has impoverished moderation of content - murder carried out live on Facebook.

Mike

Pumpedd

1759 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1981431 22-Mar-2018 12:26

Rikkitic:

`Do journalists still investigate anything? Most just seem to rewrite press releases.

or prolifically write opinion pieces.

Pumpedd

1759 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1981432 22-Mar-2018 12:27

Legislation needs to catch up..it is that simple.

MikeAqua

7773 posts

Uber Geek

#1981445 22-Mar-2018 12:49

Pumpedd:

Legislation needs to catch up..it is that simple.

It's arguably not just legislation .. there are jurisdictional issues. If a firm in the UK and use computer to illegally influence voters in an NZ election ... have they committed an offence? Has the material been published or circulated in NZ? Has an NZ agency that contracted them in fact contracted unlawful services?

Some NZ laws stipulate that if you go outside of NZ and engage in particular (odious and heinous) activities that are illegal in NZ, you can be prosecuted here. Perhaps that approach would be needed to stop people using overseas firms to illegally influence elections.

Mike

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Fred99

13684 posts

Uber Geek

#1981447 22-Mar-2018 12:51

Pumpedd:

Legislation needs to catch up..it is that simple.

Print, FTA TV, and Web MSM had better get their lazy backsides into gear and start fighting a war against Social Media, Google etc. - demanding that they are regulated.

I'm actually amazed that on so many web-based news sites (which have associated printed publications) they have one-click links to "share this story via FB, twitter, G+" etc. FFS - those social media sites have been sucking the lifeblood (advertising revenue) out of conventional news media for over a decade, and the MSM just keeps giving them more.

Serious question - does MSM get paid (by FB etc) for "shares" of their stories, or as well as creaming all the advertising revenue, do those social media companies also get content creation for free?

Pumpedd

1759 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1981622 22-Mar-2018 15:52

EU is well into their path of legislation.

Fred99

13684 posts

Uber Geek

#1981749 22-Mar-2018 22:38

Here's a "blast from the past"

Time Magazine cover & story, July 1996. (large PDF warning)

"How American advisors helped Yeltsin win."

To put some perspective to this, Yeltsin was basically unelectable :

"Stalin had higher positives and lower negatives than Yeltsin. We tested the two in polls and focus groups."

MikeAqua

7773 posts

Uber Geek

#1981829 23-Mar-2018 09:03

Fred99:

If you were to look at the impact from corporate misbehaviour/corruption, then in my opinion it's pretty clear that there's a war, and that the journalists are going to lose for many reasons. For example the VW emissions cheating scandal, they took a "big hit", but it's been mainly forgotten and out of the news, very carefully "damage controlled" - no doubt also using social media.

Actually I don't entirely blame the media for this. The nature of social media and the internet is that scandals blow up very fast, but also die down quickly as attention shifts to the next one. Genuine misconduct like VW's has to compete with many instances of faux outrage. And their is much more of the faux variety then the genuine.

Public displeasure is fickle and migratory. If you are the centre of scandal, if you keep your head down it will blow over. Only the very big scandals cut through - Weinstein, VW.

The real risk is not the public but the regulators and even they are driven by sustained public outrage to an extent.

Mike