Cambridge Analytica's parent company worked on anti-jihad project in Pakistan: Wylie

March 30, 2018 09:38

Former employee of Cambridge Analytica, Christopher Wylie, has revealed that the controversial data firms parent company, SCL Group, was hired to work in India between 2009 and 2010 to assess the phenomenon of honour killing in Punjab, Haryana, UP and Rajasthan. However, Wylie hasnt named the client for whom SCL Group worked on this subject.

This is among the revelations gleaned from 122 pages of written evidence provided by Wylie, a former research director with CA, to the House of Commons digital, culture, media and sport committee, made public Thursday night. Wylie had given a lengthy statement to the British parliamentary committee on Tuesday when he had claimed CA had worked for Congress.

The evidence given by Wylie to the panel states: At the level of enforcement, local police and magistrates are often sympathetic to the practice of killing. This has made enforcement of the law somewhat problematic. SCL helped its client to better understand the often convoluted and secretive culture surrounding honour killings. SCL analysed the issue via problem space mapping and on that foundation proposed a number of interventions to stop honour killings.

It was revealed in the evidence on Thursday CA was also engaged for anti-jihadist projects in Pakistan as well as Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.

SCLs client UK FCO hired the firm in October 2008 to carry out a behavioural study in Pakistan to counter violent jihadism. It then delivered actionable recommendations, which impacted on policy in the near term and the FCOs strategic direction in the country, the evidence says.

According to the evidence, in 2009, SCL carried out behavioural research in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan, the northern areas and two locations within POK. However, the client for this research is not named. The aim was to understand support for and recruitment into violent jihadist and militant Islamic groups, according to the evidence.

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