Ex-CEO of Cambridge Analytica banned from running cos for seven years

Alexander Nix, former CEO of controversial political consulting agency Cambridge Analytica that labored on initiatives in India and different international locations between 2013 and 2018, was banned on Thursday by the UK authorities from operating corporations for seven years.

Officials stated that Nix, 45, gave an enterprise that he brought on or permitted corporations he was related to to supply ‘unethical services’ to purchasers that included bribery and honey-trap stings, demonstrating a scarcity of economic probity.

Nix gave this enterprise to the federal government: “From no later than January 2013 to March 2018 I caused or permitted SCL Elections Ltd or companies associated with SCLE to market themselves as offering potentially unethical services to potential clients, thereby demonstrating a lack of commercial probity including: bribery stings and honey trap stings designed to uncover corruption; voter disengagement campaigns; the obtaining of information to discredit political opponents; the anonymous spreading of information.”

From October 5, Nix stands disqualified for seven years from performing as a director or instantly or not directly changing into concerned, with out the permission of the court docket, within the promotion, formation or administration of an organization.

Nix was a director of SCLE, an organization that offered information analytics, advertising and communication companies to political and industrial clients. He was additionally a director of 5 different linked UK corporations: SCL Group Ltd, SCL Social Ltd, SCL Analytics Ltd, SCL Commercial Ltd, and Cambridge Analytica (UK) Ltd.

From 2016, SCL Elections Ltd was included in a rebranding of related corporations which then operated below the buying and selling names Cambridge Analytica, CA Political (Global) and CA Commercial.

SCL Elections and the 5 linked corporations, nevertheless, ceased buying and selling following allegations within the UK and US media which created substantial adversarial publicity. Some of the accusations towards the businesses associated to allegedly providing potential purchasers unethical companies.

Officials stated the unethical companies supplied by the businesses included bribery or honey lure stings, voter disengagement campaigns, acquiring info to discredit political opponents and spreading info anonymously in political campaigns.

Mark Bruce, chief investigator for the Insolvency Service, stated: “Following an extensive investigation, our conclusions were clear that SCL Elections had repeatedly offered shady political services to potential clients over a number of years”.

“Company directors should act with commercial probity and this means acting honestly and correctly. Alexander Nix’s actions did not meet the appropriate standard for a company director and his disqualification from managing limited companies for a significant amount of time is justified in the public interest”.

It emerged in 2018 that as much as 87 million Facebook customers probably had their information hijacked by Cambridge Analytica, which was working for Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential marketing campaign. Facebook modified its information sharing app insurance policies since then.

(With inputs from companies)