Page 42 - English Tehelka Issue 7 - April 15, 2018
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                                       Cambridge Analytica


                                       row: Rahul gets new title




                                       Sahi bhi hai, ‘pappu’ has become so outdated, overly used and
         Being You                     obsolete whereas the new title ‘technologically illiterate’ looks so
                                       freshly brewed, stylish, novel and global
         Yashica
         Jalhotra

                                               he Cambridge Analytica    started questioning CA’s methodologies
         The writer, currently                 scandal started in the US but   of targeting voters.
         Editor (Digital Media),               soon embraced the whole     Common Cause, a US government                 opportunity to serve people.”   Analytica to NaMo and INC app.  allegations made by Gandhi. In a series
         is noted for giving witty             world. At first, what began as   watchdog group, has accused CA of          “We will continue to engage with   According to a security researcher,   of tweets, the BJP also questioned hi’s
         tips on current issues,       T yet another scandal involv-     breaking US election law in a formal            the government on this matter. We are   BJP’s NaMo app and Congress’ INC app   technical literacy and competence.
         lifestyle, health, love,      ing US President Donald Trump turned   complaint. The watchdog group filed        committed to vigorously enforcing our   was sending personal user data to a   “Rahul’s allegations are a classic
         parenting, behaviour,         out to be a dynamite which exploded   two legal complaints against Cambridge      policies to protect peoples’ informa-  third-party domain.      case of technological illiteracy. He
         inner-self, spirituality,     not the US presidential elections, Face-  Analytica with the Federal Election     tion and will take whatever steps are   The Bharatiya Janata Party and Con-  does not know that data analysis is
         beliefs,relationships         book security arrangements but also   Commission (FEC) and the Department         required that this happens,” Facebook   gress kept on trading charges on Twit-  not equivalent to spying. This new age
         and everything else           Indian political campaigning.     of Justice.                                     said in a statement.            ter over the privacy concerns ques-  is the age of information which Rahul
         under the sun.                                                    And it didn’t take long time for                                              tioned by a French security researcher   ji will not understand,” BJP spokes-
                                       What is Cambridge Analytica?      Facebook data leak to reach India and           The Indian Angle: NaMo, Chhota   over Android apps of the two parties.   person Sambit Patra said in a press
                                       Cambridge Analytica (CA), started in   prompted Indian IT Minister Ravi           Bheem & technological illiteracy  According to him, the NaMo An-  conference.
                                       2013, is a British political consulting   Shankar Prasad to warn Facebook         With the ongoing CA data scam, while   droid app was sending personal user   Union Information and Broadcast-
                                       firm which combines data mining, data   against any attempt to influence Indian   Facebook lost shares worth nearly    data to a third-party domain based in   ing Minister Smriti Irani compared
                                       brokerage, and data analysis for the   General Elections of 2019.                 USD 50 billion, Indians politicians    the US. He also said that the server for   Rahul Gandhi to the cartoon character
                                       electoral process.                  “Mr Mark Zuckerberg, you better               got juicy material to start a blame    a Congress membership app was situ-  ‘Chota Bheem’ and tweeted, “@Rahul-
                                         In 2014 -15, the data firm worked for   note the observation of the IT minister   game and explored all possible ways    ated in Singapore.     Gandhi ji, even ‘Chhota Bheem’
                                       various political races before working   of India. We welcome FB profiles in      to link each other with the data    Rahul Gandhi in a series of tweets   knows that commonly asked permis-
                                       on US President Donald Trump’s elec-  India, but if any data theft of Indians     mining firm.                    published on his official Twitter handle   sion on Apps don’t tantamount to
                                       tion campaign in 2016.            is done through the collusion of FB               On one hand, the BJP opened fire   alleged that Prime Minister Narendra   snooping.”
                                         CA got exposed in March this year   system, it shall not be tolerated. We have   against Congress party for its alleged   Modi was supplying data of Indians   While alleging that the Congress
                                       when The New York Times and The   got stringent powers in the IT Act, we          links with Cambridge Analytica. “The   (who had signed up for his NaMo app)   party’s app has been sharing data with
                                       Observer reported on the Facebook   shall use them, including summoning           illegal use of people’s data from social   to American companies.  Singapore based servers, she tweeted,
                                       and Cambridge Analytica data breach.   you to India,” said the IT minister.       media could turn out to be the Con-  “Modi’s NaMo App secretly records   “Now that we’re talking tech, would you
                                       According to reports, the company   While the social media giant faced            gress’ “biggest scam” and the govern-  audio, video, contacts of your friends   care to answer @RahulGandhi ji why
                                       acquired personal information of   global flak, Zuckerberg apologized and         ment would launch a probe into the   & family and even tracks your location   Congress sends data to Singapore Serv-
                                       Facebook users and used it for political   accepted their mistake. \              matter,” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra  via GPS. He’s the Big Boss who likes to   ers which can be accessed by any Tom,
                                       purposes without users’ permission.  “We should not have trusted Cam-             has said.                       spy on Indians. Now he wants data on   Dick and Analytica?”
                                                                         bridge Analytica’s certification, and             On the other hand Congress spokes-  our children. 13 lakh NCC cadets are
                                       How Facebook is involved?         we are not going to make that mistake           person Randeep Surjewala said that   being forced to download the app,” said  AND IT CONTINUES…
                                       The scandal, also known as the Face-  again,” the CEO said while promising        BJP’s factory of fake news has produced  Rahul Gandhi in his latest tweet.  Did you say Indian politicians are very
                                       book and Cambridge Analytica data   to step up its security. “I am really sorry   one more fake product and alleged   Earlier also Rahul tweeted, “Hi! My   busy?
                                       breach case, is the data theft of a collec-  that this has happened,” Zuckenberg   that CA has played a vital role in BJP’s   name is Narendra Modi. I am India’s
                                       tion of personal information of about 50   said.                                  campaign in four states, including    Prime Minister. When you sign up for   Fakebook CEO has just approached
                                       million Facebook users that Cambridge   Zuckenberg has accepted the CA            Bihar polls 2010 and its mission 272   my official App, I give all your data to   Yashica Jalhotra and asked about ‘Chhota
                                       Analytica began collecting in 2014.   scam as a major breach of trust and         plus campaign.                  my friends in American companies.   Bheem’ app, so that the social media giant
                                       The data was used to influence voter   even felt sorry for the same. He added:      And thus the war of words between   Ps. Thanks mainstream media, you’re   can copy its privacy policy and save his
                                       opinion on behalf of politicians who   “We have a basic responsibility to         the BJP and the Congress continued but  doing a great job of burying this critical   company from defamation.
                                       hire them.                        protect people’s data, and if we can’t do       gradually shifted from international   story, as always.”
                                         Various political scientists also   that then we don’t deserve to have the      level to national level, from Cambridge   The BJP came down heavily on           letters@tehelka.com



                                         Tehelka / 15 april 2018  42  www.Tehelka.com                                                                    Tehelka / 15 april 2018  43  www.Tehelka.com



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