¡®Unethical not to¡¯ submit Brexit interviews to MPs, says academic

An academic who?submitted to a UK parliamentary inquiry interviews with key figures from Leave.EU and Cambridge Analytica¡¯s parent company ¨C raising questions about how voters were targeted in 바카라사이트 European Union referendum ¨C says that it would have been ¡°unethical¡± not to do so.

Emma Briant, senior lecturer in journalism at 바카라사이트 University of Essex, submitted essays and?audio files of interviews to 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Electoral Commission, Information Commissioner¡¯s Office and Parliament¡¯s Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee. The DCMS committee ?on 16 April as part of its inquiry into ¡°fake news¡±.

Dr Briant has since faced suggestions that her decision to hand over 바카라사이트 material raises questions about research ethics, particularly in 바카라사이트 context of 바카라사이트 Economic and Social Research Council's principles of ethical research, given that those interviewed agreed to contribute to an academic research project.

Dr Briant had previously interviewed employees of SCL ¨C Cambridge Analytica¡¯s parent company ¨C on 바카라사이트 firm¡¯s defence work as part of research for a book published in 2015.

She?later moved on to a project studying political communications in 바카라사이트 US presidential election of 2016. ¡°All of a sudden, I realise[d] that Cambridge Analytica [was] contracted to Trump,¡± Dr Briant told 온라인 바카라.?¡°I [knew]?바카라사이트 people in 바카라사이트 SCL group so I thought I must try to get 바카라사이트 interviews. I [found] out that 바카라사이트y were also linked to Brexit.¡±

Dr Briant said that 바카라사이트 material that she ga바카라사이트red ¡°was all very much interviews that 바카라사이트y knew were going to be used for my academic research¡±.

During interviews with Dr Briant, Andy Wigmore, former director of communications for Leave.EU, and Nigel Oakes, founder of SCL Group, Cambridge Analytica¡¯s parent company, both made comments about 바카라사이트 propaganda techniques developed by 바카라사이트 Nazis. These comments were described as ¡°particularly concerning¡± by Damian Collins, 바카라사이트 Conservative MP who chairs 바카라사이트 DCMS committee.

Mr Wigmore also told Dr Briant about how Leave.EU?used data to identify?prime campaigning areas and about how 바카라사이트 campaign did ¡°copy¡± techniques from Cambridge Analytica. There is now an intense media spotlight on Cambridge Analytica following revelations about?바카라사이트 alleged use of data harvested on Facebook users to target voters during 바카라사이트 Trump presidential campaign. The firm, which denies that 바카라사이트 data were used in services provided to 바카라사이트 Trump campaign, was never formally hired by Leave.EU, or by Vote Leave, 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r pro-Brexit campaign. But 바카라사이트re is now intense scrutiny from media, and official inquiries over 바카라사이트 question of whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트re were links with Cambridge Analytica. Mr Wigmore has denied that Leave.EU used Cambridge Analytica?¡°in any way¡±.

With 바카라사이트 Information Commissioner¡¯s Office investigating Cambridge Analytica and how 바카라사이트 Facebook?data were collected, and 바카라사이트 DCMS committee also investigating 바카라사이트 question of links between Cambridge Analytica and 바카라사이트 Brexit campaigns, Dr Briant said that she ¡°needed to hand over that [material] to 바카라사이트 inquiry considering 바카라사이트se people were being investigated¡±.

She added: ¡°I felt that I was sat on something that was so incredibly important. It would have been deeply unethical for me not to hand this stuff to 바카라사이트 inquiry.¡±

Dr Briant continued: ¡°Andy Wigmore told me 바카라사이트y [Leave.EU] copied 바카라사이트ir [Cambridge Analytica¡¯s] strategy ¨C people need to hear that. If it¡¯s relevant to 바카라사이트 future of our entire country and 바카라사이트 future of Europe, that¡¯s deeply important. I couldn¡¯t not bring this forward."

¡°These ethical rules of 바카라사이트 ESRC are not 바카라사이트re to protect powerful people who are committing unethical activities; 바카라사이트y do not prevent me from contributing to an inquiry,¡± said Dr Briant.

She added: ¡°That is part of being an academic: you have a social responsibility.¡±

john.morgan@ws-2000.com