back to article Cambridge Analytica's ex-CEO decides not to front UK Parliamentary Committee again

The recently-sidelined former CEO of Cambridge Analytica has declined the opportunity to make a second appearance in front of the UK Parliament's Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee. Alexander Nix was due for a second grilling on Wednesday, April 18, but the committee's chairman Damian Collins, issued a statement …

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  1. Michael Habel

    Still waiting....

    On that Russian connection that ties Facebook, CA, Brexit, and Trump all together in a nice giftwraped package.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Still waiting....

      Link

      Try that for starters.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Still waiting....

      They have a common link - Robert Mercer.

      He does not look particularly Russian to me.

      1. John Lilburne

        Re: Still waiting....

        Doesn't need to be Russian per se. Authoritarian right (or left) wing fucktards stick together.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Still waiting....

      What's your obsession with Russia Michael? There's a proven link between CA, facebook and Trump and the Brexit campaign, I'm not sure why you're expecting Russia to come into it.

      1. Voland's right hand Silver badge

        Re: Still waiting....

        What's your obsession with Russia Michael?

        Leave the man alone, he is doing his civic duty and relaying what he has been hired to. Same as the idiot who once a day runs a script to mod down on all my posts on all articles.

        It's a living. Not a rich one, but a living.

        He may even earn some money at the end of the day after he has done all of his assigned quota.

        1. CrazyOldCatMan Silver badge

          Re: Still waiting....

          he is doing his civic duty and relaying what he has been hired to

          I didn't know he worked for the IRA? No - not the Irish one..

      2. CrazyOldCatMan Silver badge

        Re: Still waiting....

        What's your obsession with Russia Michael?

        He's still sore about Operation Barbarossa - you know, the one where Hitler stabbed Stalin in the back before Stalin could stab him in the back. And they had such an nice agreement to divide Eastern Europe between themselves too!

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Still waiting....

      My mum was taking an unhealthy (for her) interest in Cambridge Analytica. She's never been anywhere near Facebook which made it even more odd. Turns out she was interested in Mr Nix because I was at primary school with him. Not that I really remembered him as it was a very long time ago.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Can they summons Zuck?

    Now that Facebook wants to enable face scanning in Canada and Europe?

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-43797128

    Haven't they learned a lesson that WE the People don't want this shit. After all, the majority of us are not signed up to FaceBook so why don't we get a say in the way FB wants to use our data?

    I'd like to be able to walk around say London and not have to worry that the hundreds of selfies that may have me in shot and the posted on Social Media can be used by advertisers to track me. Sometimes, wearing a Nicab can have its advantages...

    I don't want anything to do with FB (or Twatter etc for that matter)

    Come on MP's get off your fat arses and make it illegal for FB to collect data on people who are not signed up to their evil empire.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Can they summons Zuck?

      Come on MP's get off your fat arses and make it illegal for FB to collect data on people who are not signed up to their evil empire.

      Write to yours.

      Mine is quite responsive and actually stood for the views of his constituents regarding the empty shed demolition operation yesterday. So was the previous one and so was the one before him.

      Though none of them are tories, so maybe that's your problem.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Though none of them are tories, so maybe that's your problem.

        Unlikely. The political party they belong to bears little relationship to how competent and receptive they are. Most politicians are feckless gobshites, but there are also good people on both sides of the house.

        1. phuzz Silver badge

          Re: Though none of them are tories, so maybe that's your problem.

          "The political party they belong to bears little relationship to how competent and receptive they are."

          This is true. I've received more helpful responses from the (back bench) Tory MP in the constituency I grew up in than I have of some of my other MPs. Although the Lib Dem MP I used to have would personally reply to my letters, so props for doing the job they're paid (a fuckton) to do.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Can they summons Zuck?

        Sadly my MP is a government minister who obviously has better things to do than answer a mere pleb. Who is he? Try 'hunting' for the answer.

        1. RealBigAl

          Re: Can they summons Zuck?

          MPs are legally bound to respond to constituents letters, so write to your MP.

          They are not so similarly bound to respond to electronic communications.

    2. Dan 55 Silver badge

      Re: Can they summons Zuck?

      It's not going to happen in Europe because GDPR's rolling out and there's no way for other people in the photo (especially people who aren't on Facebook) to give their consent.

    3. Aladdin Sane

      Re: Can they summons Zuck?

      No, they cannot summons the Zuckerborg.

      1. CrazyOldCatMan Silver badge

        Re: Can they summons Zuck?

        they cannot summons the Zuckerborg

        Not even by sacrificing a data protection person and chanting "all your data are belong to us" three times in quick succession?

        (Mind you, that would probably summon Microsoft and Google too. The UnHoly Trinity, all in the same place..)

    4. John Lilburne

      Re: Can they summons Zuck?

      "Haven't they learned a lesson that WE the People don't want this shit. "

      There are numerous people and organisations that scan all photos uploaded to FB doing facial recognition and the Niqab won't help because they can also use gait recognition now too.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNZrq2iK87k

    5. CrazyOldCatMan Silver badge

      Re: Can they summons Zuck?

      Haven't they learned a lesson that WE the People don't want

      Remember - in the Big Money[1] world, there is no We the People. There is only We the Rich and Them the proles. And in Facebooks worldview, we are only datasources to be mined.

      [1] Money has no political affiliation - you get oligarchs of every nation and political stripe. Whatever makes them more money. (Wanders off humming Peter Gabriel's song "Big")

  3. FozzyBear
    Pirate

    “There is therefore no legal reason why Mr Nix cannot appear. "

    What you expected him to reappear out of the goodness of his heart.

    With no charges, summons or subpoena

    There is no legal reason for him to appear.

    Gez. Stop whining and issue a summons already. Better still open an active investigation on him and let the police crawl through his professional and personal life. Why do these politicians think that they have the investigative credentials of a seasoned detective.

    1. Pascal Monett Silver badge

      Re: "There is no legal reason for him to appear."

      Except for the fact that he has been "invited" by the fucking Parliament of his own country.

      That should be summons enough to anyone with a smidgen of honor and sense of duty.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: "There is no legal reason for him to appear."

        > "That should be summons enough to anyone with a smidgen of honor and sense of duty."

        Of which he clearly has neither.

        1. Adam 52 Silver badge

          Re: "There is no legal reason for him to appear."

          If Parliament committees retained any honour then you may have a point. But committees have descended to the point where they are a forum for MPs to score political points by slinging abuse and unsubstantiated allegations at people which, without parliamentary privilege, would be actionable slander.

          They've become the modern equivalent of a tar-and-feather. It's understandable not to want to attend.

          1. DropBear
            Big Brother

            Re: "There is no legal reason for him to appear."

            I'm thoroughly astonished that there still are apparently sane adult people willing to use concepts like "honour" and "anything related to politics, government or the state" in the same paragraph with a straight face - I have to conclude it must be some kind of Stockholm syndrome. Now do excuse me, I need to lie down and laugh uncontrollably for the rest of the day.

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: "There is no legal reason for him to appear."

              Klingons have honour - today is a good day to die and all that.

              If only...

          2. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: "There is no legal reason for him to appear."

            Good on him.

            Why would anyone want to voluntarily appear before a kangaroo court whose sole objective is embarrass and humiliate the people they've demanded attend?

            BTW you don't have to have the IQ of a CA CEO to work that one out.

        2. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

          Re: "There is no legal reason for him to appear."

          "Of which he clearly has neither."

          I suppose if I were in his position my reasoning would be "Does attending give me a chance of dropping my former colleagues in it instead of me? If so, go, if not, try and stay out of it.". In that case my not going would be indicative of my thinking I had something to hide. I wonder what his reasoning is.

      2. LucreLout

        Re: "There is no legal reason for him to appear."

        That should be summons enough to anyone with a smidgen of honor and sense of duty.

        It used to be, back when the MPs had a smidgen of honour and sense of duty, however all political parties have failed in that respect.

        1. phuzz Silver badge

          Re: "There is no legal reason for him to appear."

          "back when the MPs had a smidgen of honour and sense of duty"

          I'd love to know when this golden age of honest politicians was. Back before the Romans invaded, one assumes.

          1. strum

            Re: "There is no legal reason for him to appear."

            >I'd love to know when this golden age of honest politicians was. Back before the Romans invaded, one assumes.

            You mean, you haven't heard about the comings and goings at the court of King Caractacus!?!

            Actually, I quite agree, This kneejerk dismissal of politicians, as a class, is as daft as kneejerk adulation of politicians we happen to like.

          2. CrazyOldCatMan Silver badge

            Re: "There is no legal reason for him to appear."

            golden age of honest politicians was. Back before the Romans invaded, one assumes

            I suspect you'd need to go further back to before we came down from the trees..

        2. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

          Re: "There is no legal reason for him to appear."

          "It used to be, back when the MPs had a smidgen of honour and sense of duty"

          Back in those days a minister would accept that he carried the responsibility for his department's failings and resign. It even happened that a minister, might resign if the actual failing took place took place under a previous minister's period in office. Say something as serious as the Windrush business.

        3. CrazyOldCatMan Silver badge

          Re: "There is no legal reason for him to appear."

          however all political parties have failed in that respect

          And, in general, have done since the invention of political parties. There are some instructive lessons to be taken from Ancient Athens in that regard.. (they didn't call them political parties but they essentially were - bodies of citizens who campaigned and voted with others of like mind - usually on the basis of birth class or philosophical concordances).

      3. Jason Bloomberg Silver badge
        WTF?

        Re: "There is no legal reason for him to appear."

        That should be summons enough to anyone with a smidgen of honor and sense of duty.

        It's been a while since I have heard anyone on El Reg saying we should do as we are told.

        I guess, like me, he's a traitor, saboteur, enemy of the people, and a lot worse - unpatriotic perhaps seeing how you spell "honor" - simply because he is exercising his free will and not bowing down to others telling him what he should do.

        Sorry, but not really, if doing that offends you.

    2. LucreLout

      Why do these politicians think that they have the investigative credentials of a seasoned detective.

      Why? Dunning Kruger, I suspect.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning-Kruger_effect

      Why else would a postman or lawyer think he should be running the country rather than delivering mail or chasing ambulances?

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    What has changed since his first appearance??

    The ICO were already investigating CA, they had not yet "raided" the offices.

    He has been implicated of breaking election laws by other witnesses.

    He has been videoed by Channel 4 telling porkies and being a slimey crook.

    Nix is generally seen by the MPs and public as being guilty of numerous crimes.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: What has changed since his first appearance??

      Yeah, this the UK after all - guilty unless proven innocent.

      :(

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    This:

    "“There is therefore no legal reason why Mr Nix cannot appear".

    "“There is therefore no legal reason why Mr Nix must appear".

    TFTFY.

    Either issue a warrant or STFU crowing.

    1. Aladdin Sane

      Re: This:

      Unless you're an MP, the government takes a rather dim view of anybody lying to parliament .

      1. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

        Re: This:

        "Unless you're an MP, the government takes a rather dim view of anybody lying to parliament."

        That needs rearranging. Parliament takes a dim view of being lied to. Especially by governments.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: This:

        Err no it doesn't - Tony Blair is still a free man.

        As are many of the MPs guilty (but not prosecuted) of expense fraud.

        1. strum

          Re: This:

          >Err no it doesn't - Tony Blair is still a free man.

          Because, despite six enquiries, no-one has ever unearthed any evidence he lied.

          1. CrazyOldCatMan Silver badge

            Re: This:

            unearthed any evidence he lied

            No - in those days I believe they called it "being economical with the truth".

  6. Anonymous South African Coward Bronze badge

    Interestingly as somebody from CA was chortling with glee on how much data they had managed to snaffle a couple of weeks ago (before this exploded wide open) - now the fat lady is singing, and they don't like that....

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Politicians should go after NIX's 'Personal' Lawyer

    He knows where the dead bodies are buried...

    Look at the stress Trump is feeling right now! Zuk & Nix impose the same kind of Global Power of the strong hunting the weak. We're just Pawns on a behavioral chessboard to them, and their dodgy firms!

    They both operate global spying apparatus available to anyone with $$$. So they can't really talk about how their firms work. Its also why politicians don't want to mess with Facebook / CA, as they're useful tools - for hire.

    Facebook combined with Cambridge Analytica, is basically the world's greatest behavioral experiment on humans ever ... What's not to like about that kind of propaganda machine power!

    'We are the native people's now'!

    1. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

      Re: Politicians should go after NIX's 'Personal' Lawyer

      "Its also why politicians don't want to mess with Facebook / CA, as they're useful tools - for hire."

      Governments might not want to. Select Committees give power to MPs who don't have the funds for that sort of hiring. ITYF they're rather keen on using that power if they see it as having popular appeal. Given that FB/CA etc. have rather dirtied their nappies now Committee members can probably see it as having public appeal.

  8. Chris G

    Fireside chat

    Nix should count himself lucky; three or four centuries back he would have received the invitation for the appearance in front of parliamentary officials from a bloke in a tin shirt with a couple of mates with halberds.

    After the initial chat he would have been invited downstairs for a chat by a real fire complete with tongs, a poker and another bloke who could put them places one wouldn't want to think about.

    Now, it's just a load of questions that could lead (eventually) to a comfy cell in an open prison, that's if he hasn't found a new job in a country with no extradition treaty with the UK, before they get that far.

    If I was in charge I would revoke his passport.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Fireside chat

      The brexiteers see those as the good old days...

    2. CrazyOldCatMan Silver badge

      Re: Fireside chat

      invited downstairs for a chat by a real fire complete with tongs

      I sincerely hope that you are not advocating a return to the use of torture. It's unethical, immoral and hideous and only produces information that is required for the torturer to stop torturing - which is generally the one being tortured saying anything to get the torture stopped.

      That anyone who believes in democracy and the rule of law can advocate torture is appalling.

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