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Cambridge Analytica Planned To Launch Its Own Cryptocurrency (theverge.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the under-the-radar dept.

Cambridge Analytica, the data analytics firm that harvested millions of Facebook profiles of U.S. voters, attempted to develop its own cryptocurrency this past year and intended to raise funds through an initial coin offering. The digital coin would have helped people store online personal data and even sell it, former Cambridge Analytica employee Brittany Kaiser told The New York Times. The Verge reports: Cambridge Analytica, which obtained the data of 87 million Facebook users, was hoping to raise as much as $30 million through the venture, anonymous sources told Reuters. Cambridge Analytica confirmed to Reuters that it had previously explored blockchain technology, but did not confirm the coin offering and didn't say whether efforts are still underway. The company also reportedly attempted to promote another digital currency behind the scenes. It arranged for potential investors to take a vacation trip to Macau in support of Dragon Coin, a cryptocurrency aimed at casino players. Dragon Coin has been supported by a Macau gangster Wan Kuok-koi, nicknamed Broken Tooth, according to documents obtained by the Times. Cambridge Analytica started working on its own initial coin offering mid-2017 and the initiative was overseen in part by CEO Alexander Nix and former employee Brittany Kaiser. The company's plans to launch an ICO were still in the early stages when Nix was suspended last month and the Facebook data leak started to gain public attention.

60 comments

  1. Hahaha, oh that's rich! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I've heard of cryptocurrency being anti-privacy by design, but these cunts having their own is a doge too far. Hang them at Zuckerberg Gallows!

  2. What!? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Those monsters! What will we find out next?

    1. Re:What!? by sheramil · · Score: 1

      Exactly. Next I expect to see a headline that claims "Cambridge Analytica executives eat babies."

    2. Re:What!? by umghhh · · Score: 0

      Yes that can happen except in modern times it is 'abuse babies' not 'eat babies'. Cannibalism maybe just a cultural trait of some thus we should not be so judgmental on it. Abuse babies works great especially if there is 6element to it.
      Interestingly media seem to be have no interest whatsoever in any other activities of similar companies and across other social media platforms done for other politicians etc. I wonder why that could be. In any case if they hope to defeat Trump for good they have to try harder. The way they go about it they just confirm a bias Trump supporters seems to see in them and even if they manage to fight Trump this time next leader of neglected white trash may wait just behind the corner.

  3. 1st didnâ(TM)t in a summary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    How bout not posting story summaries with your GOD DAMNED IPHONE!!!!!!!!!!

    1. Re:1st didnâ(TM)t in a summary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's our man BeauHD! Yeah right!

      You could write a script to remove non-ASCII apostrophes.

    2. Re:1st didnâ(TM)t in a summary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2

      IMO, this scandal should result in the firing of BeauHD as an editor.

      Let him continue to sit around doing nothing and collecting a paycheck if you want (in other words, no actual change to his job description), but don't let him approve submissions anymore.

    3. Re:1st didnâ(TM)t in a summary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "and didnâ(TM)t say"

      It might be Scottish.

    4. Re:1st didnâ(TM)t in a summary by lucm · · Score: 2

      That's our man BeauHD!

      BeauHD is not a man. BeauHD is a poorly written AppleScript running from an unpatched mac mini hidden in a closet in one of the Apple Stores.

      --
      lucm, indeed.
    5. Re:1st didnâ(TM)t in a summary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In that case, attempt to remove non-ASCII apostrophes would create something like o'o.

  4. Birds of a feather by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This Cambridge Analytica seems like a top notch enterprise, yikes

  5. Wow! by no-body · · Score: 1

    An absolutely superior and trustworthy company!

    Maybe they want to make some buck after their recent flop?

    1. Re:Wow! by umghhh · · Score: 1

      yes that nails it - I had very uneasy feeling looking at picture of that person.

    2. Re:Wow! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't know what the two of you are talking about. I just googled him to see what it was about and he looks like a hipster that was sensible enough to not get ear stretchers.
      In the picture where he doesn't have the nosering he looks like the half of the game programmers I've met that aren't overweight.

      He may otherwise be a dickwad, I don't know anything about that, but the hair color thing is just how kids looks these days.

    3. Re:Wow! by rtb61 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Like that kind of comment went out last millennium. People kinda of should be free to express themselves via their attire and style, their choice. There should not be cause to not hire or fire someone, unless it breaches common decency, properly covered, no genitalia exposed and that would have to include camel toe and stuffing socks down your shorts. So dress or kilt or caftan or what ever should be OK for either sex and you hair colour and style, as long as it is not a pack of snakes who cares.

      Why did they want to do crypto currency, because they had a database full of gullible cryptocurrency buyers, they knew the best marketing angle for each and they could suck them into buying a ton of them, as simple as that. Rather than sell that information, they decided to exploit those weaknesses themselves, still wildly scummy though, I mean really, really scummy. A real pack of pommie crooks. The poms (Prisoner Of his/her Majesty, you don't write the 'H' but you sound it) have really be sticking to the septic tanks and make no mistake. From Blair riding the Shrub to war instead of talking him out of it, to the latest debacle, the work of the poms to make a profit out of the war on terror. They have been spending bugger all and even this time around when they actually started it (right down the the white helmets they control and the Skripal BZ incident) they spent the least and the US was sucked in to spend the most, by far (although, they were taking the opportunity presented by the poms to tests Russian (2nd string) air defence systems, to decide whether or not to directly attack Russian forces in Syria, which is now a definite no).

      Israel, UK, Saudi Arabia, how many countries are fucking over the USA?

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    4. Re:Wow! by mentil · · Score: 1

      Israel, UK, Saudi Arabia, how many countries are fucking over the USA?

      In Soviet Russia, Realpolitik fucks YOU!

      --
      Corruption is convincing someone that the selfless ideal is the same as their selfish ideal.
    5. Re:Wow! by rtb61 · · Score: 1

      Dude time travel sex, 'eww', that sounds awful if you are Russian, travel back in time to screw your soviet ancestor, eww, seriously mate ;D.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    6. Re: Wow! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "People kinda of should be free to express themselves via their attire and style, their choice."

      Congratulations! As far as I can tell, this is the first instance of virtue signalling on Slashdot posted by someone who can't write proper English. America has successfully exported yet another social aberration!

    7. Re:Wow! by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      Dude time travel sex, 'eww', that sounds awful if you are Russian, travel back in time to screw your soviet ancestor, eww, seriously mate ;D.

      Although Marty McFly's Mom was pretty hot in Back to the Future. That was a close call...

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    8. Re:Wow! by lgw · · Score: 1

      Like that kind of comment went out last millennium. People kinda of should be free to express themselves via their attire and style, their choice.

      Indeed, you are free to do so. And if you express "I'm a loser who can't get his act together", others are free to make hiring decisions based on that signalling. Of course, Starbucks isn't exactly choosy, but better jobs might be. But, hey, you be you.

      "It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances. The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible" - Oscar Wilde

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
  6. Linden Dollars by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How's the Linden Dollar market?

    1. Re:Linden Dollars by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's not a fair comparison! Unlike cryptocurrency, the L$ value is backed by real-estate!

  7. No Shame by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Disgusting. Like down with Zuckerberg. Wake up with ticks and leaches.

  8. CA - Steve Bannon - Gangsters by Zontar+The+Mindless · · Score: 1

    Well, colour me surprised.

    --
    Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
    1. Re:CA - Steve Bannon - Gangsters by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Lock 'em up!

  9. So definitely it's a business plan. by OpenSourced · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Their mission statement must read something like: "To exploit and profit from misguided public trust in any recent data or computing platform, before their lack of any safeguard becomes widely known"

    Next step, I suppose they will turn into something AI related, like predictive-algorithm-guided stock investing or something equally juicy.

    --
    Rome taught me patience and assiduous application to detail. Virtues which temper the boldness of great, general views.
    1. Re:So definitely it's a business plan. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, to be fair, first I think they'd need to get into 3D printing. Then then can delve in AI.

    2. Re: So definitely it's a business plan. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They have a better name. It's called "Samaritan". Go look it up and bow to its authority. /hopefully remains sarcasm.

  10. like a hacker ransoming your encrypted hard drive by Daneel+Olivaw+R.+ · · Score: 1

    here is the twist, he would sell the data in the drive before you pay the ransom and probably after...

  11. Scam by dohzer · · Score: 1

    One scam meets another.

  12. That's it. I used to like cryptocurrency... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    ...until someone found a way to circuitously connect it to Trump. Now I hate it with the passion of a thousand suns, as is my moral duty.

  13. Name by Tablizer · · Score: 1

    It's called the Ruble

    --
    Table-ized A.I.
  14. Corrupto-Currency by Anne+Thwacks · · Score: 3, Funny

    No need to worry. At least we can be sure this one is a Corrupto-Currency.

    --
    Sent from my ASR33 using ASCII
    1. Re:Corrupto-Currency by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1
      According to Krusty the klown, the correct term is Klepto-Kurrency.

      I expect the performance will be identical, regardless of name.

    2. Re:Corrupto-Currency by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      No need to worry. At least we can be sure this one is a Corrupto-Currency.

      Cymbal Crash! I propose we call this sort of burn a "Thwaks"

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  15. Cambridge Analyica should be shut down by FudRucker · · Score: 3, Interesting

    and the FBI confiscate all their computer hardware, desktops, laptops, storage systems, EVERYTHING and inspected for illegal activity then run through a shredder. All their employees personal electronics confiscated and searched and if any employee has any data on other people they be arrested and investigated for identity theft, and the whole outfit shut down, they are basically criminals

    --
    Politics is Treachery, Religion is Brainwashing
    1. Re:Cambridge Analyica should be shut down by Major+Blud · · Score: 1

      and the FBI confiscate all their computer hardware

      Aren't they in the UK? I think this is outside the FBI's jurisdiction, unless you meant to say Scotland Yard.

      The UK also hasn't been to keen on extradition lately.

      https://theintercept.com/2018/...

      --
      If you post as Anonymous Coward, don't expect a reply.
    2. Re:Cambridge Analyica should be shut down by Highdude702 · · Score: 1

      While we're at it lets do that to Facebook, Twitter, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, well you probably see where I'm going here... No?

  16. E Corp ? by Liquid+Len · · Score: 2

    Man, I'm watching Mr Robot these days, and Cambridge Analytica looks more and more to me like a real-life version of E Corp... http://mrrobot.wikia.com/wiki/...

    1. Re:E Corp ? by wiretrip · · Score: 1

      Except that e-corp actually have some technical chops. These guys are an ad agency with a lot of guff about what they might be able to do.

    2. Re:E Corp ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm sure their slogan would soon be: "Buy our E-Coin! It's better than Bitcoin!"

  17. WORSE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Cambridge Analytica CEO had sex with Russian whore, who then pi$$ed on his bed !!!!"

    Horribilis !

    Now, if CA had been part of one of these deadly wars in the middle east, they would be likeable !

  18. If Only by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    ...they had been supporting Hilda, then all would be 100 percent OK and they would be praised for "supporting a high tech campaign".

    It is very funny indeed how the sheeple can be whipped into an outrage by the mainstream media for something WE ALL KNEW BEFORE. The business model of Facebook was no secret at all. Neither is that of Google, which is almost identical to Facebook's model.

    And let's don't start to talk about those 135 tracking companies which will load your computers with cookies for two days or less of web surfing. They ALL try to build shadow profiles and will connect it to your read id at the first opportunity.

    This is part of the Stupid Whitey phenomenon.

    1. Re: If Only by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, this is part of the "harvest all teh privacies" crase that anyone with a website is doing nowadays for cash.

      Because apparently, the ability for these sites to make money trumps anyone's right to privacy.

      Before you go: "if they don't like it, don't use it", that argument holds as much water as the mass piracy claims made by the media industry when their latest multibillion dollar PoS fails spectacularly on the market. Facebook and any other sufficiently sized site can generate a profile on you without your input all. Most of the time by working backwards through your relationships. Mom uploading a Christmas photo for example, or your friend posting a status update for their fit bit. In short, others will happily sell you out even if you are Amish without even remotely thinking about it, or what they are actually doing to others. Not to mention every device made nowadays is built from the ground up to spy on its users, and treat them as hostile to its purpose. The only way not to get swept up currently is to literally live off the grid and to contact no-one.

      This practice needs to be illegal. These people and devices have no reason to be collecting all of this data and it puts way too many people at risk. We also need to revise the digital citizenship curriculum to address this issue and make it clear that you should upload everything, especially if what your uploading has anything about anyone else in it without their permission.

      It will take time and effort to correct this issue, but it must be done. Trading personal info as coins may as well be considered stalking.

  19. Could it be that ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ... Cambridge Analytica is actually a CIA cover company?

  20. World first by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    The first ICO to steal both your data and your money! Amazing.

  21. Re:I fail to see what Cambridge Analytica did wron by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hush. Go back to Rush and Breitbart, the grown ups (you can tell yourself "the leftist whackos", if it makes you feel better and go away) are talking.

  22. Another Headline about aomething they didn’t by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I hear the CA whistleblower may have been fired from Starbucks for repeatedly rubbing his balls on the muffins!

    Let’s have some more inane headlines from these media whores about what they thought their bosses might have been planning!

  23. But what is their strategy on Net Neutrality!? by DirkDaring · · Score: 1

    And Global Warming?

  24. Let me guess the name by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Let me guess the name. The new cryptocurrency will be called BitchCoin.

  25. #StopCamelToeShaming by lucm · · Score: 1

    that would have to include camel toe and stuffing socks down your shorts

    Wait, are you saying that camel toes and stocks stuffed in your shorts breach decency? What if someone identifies as a person who has a big "package", but has a small one and can't afford surgery - and is otherwise very good at their job? Are you suggesting they should be fired for not being cispackaged?

    Behind your thin veil of tolerance, I sense in fact a very narrow minded vision of society. Preaching acceptance of things that you find acceptable and in the same breath condemning things you don't find acceptable is a huge red flag.

    Also the fact that the guy looks like a muffin groper has nothing to do with his hair color or nose ring, it's something else, something deeper that is part of his core essence. It's like watching a picture of Roy Cohn and knowing instantly that deep down that person was a soulless sociopath; on paper he was just a plain white guy in a suit, but there was clearly something wrong with him. Too bad if you're lacking this capacity for gut feeling.

    --
    lucm, indeed.
  26. No jewbook splying with APKoin by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See Subject: APKoin is better than all other cyypto coin guarantee to not loose value

    Get APKoin by spreading the word of "LORD of HOSTS" to all conrners of teh internet

    Get APKoin by "Kick stomping heart" FAKE name slashdot l[users] who dare defy brilliant APK

    Redeemable for ultra premium moose dik you can suck or take in ass

    Premium rewards like suk my MEGA MAN PENIS or lick my gaint ballz

    APK

    P.S.=> The Soros and ROTHSCHILD backed jew bankers want to destroy CRYPTO COIN because it can derail their plans to enslave great american worker. Trump was the first major disruption to they plans APKoins is the next... apk

  27. Re:like a hacker ransoming your encrypted hard dri by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    and your assuming that isn't exactly what already happens to your ransomed data. Or I don't know, you pay the ransom and still can't unlock the data.

    https://www.healthcare-informatics.com/news-item/kansas-heart-hospital-hit-ransomware-hackers-do-not-unlock-files-after-receiving-ransom

  28. Tickers by inking · · Score: 1

    Are the tickers $SPY and $ANAL taken yet? Probably.

    No problem, they can still combine the two and be $ANALSPY. Brand recognition right there.

  29. Recommendation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Great post! I think this article complements the info: https://cryptocomes.com/cambridge-analytica-had-plans-for-own-cryptocurrency-and-ico

  30. With Cambridge Analytica the cryptocoin owns you. by catsRus · · Score: 1

    With Cambridge Analytica the cryptocoin owns you.

  31. Cambridge Analytica Planning by dianadsouzaworld · · Score: 1

    Cambridge Analytica is the company behind recent Facebook’s massive data leak scandal. It is now planning to issues its own cryptocurrency and aiming to raise funds through ICOs. It is also tried to promote Dragon Coin associated with a Macau gangster. The company tried a variety of technologies including blockchain. here is also similar info: https://coinpedia.org/news/cam...