General Election, Facebook-Cambridge Analytica, Potential Implications on Kurdistan Region, Iraq

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – Time is getting closer to the general election in Kurdistan Region, by overlooking the rest of the world going through the electoral campaigns, at a different level, atmosphere and different time, especially, with the developed information technology and artificial intelligence AI.

The spectrum of the interference is reminiscent and reflection derived from the most famous elections, in 2016, when American election for President or during Britain’s referendum regarding leaving the EU.

Interfering into the election campaigns, is not a narrowed or limited mission and hard step anymore, particularly, with the online and internet services, breaching data and privacy, gathering personal information from millions all over, creating and profiling psychographics under different names or intentions, concentrating on the psychological characteristics, choices, thoughts, preferences, expressions and so forth.

Broadening the path, and widely opening the gates to some private organizations, companies, groups as well as individuals to play very negatived roles, all stand against democracy process, its principles, also rule of a transparent and fair elections.

Perhaps to travel back to a -nearby-past incident, is remembering what Facebook and Cambridge Analytica CA were involved in.

“The most scandalous incident was interfering to election in the US in 2016, UK Brexit and election campaigns and abroad across 7 countries from South Africa and Asia,” Former Cambridge Analytica staff members, American and British media network sources stated.

The firm utilized the personal data and information gathered from millions of people’s Facebook profiles, frankly Voters, used by Cambridge Analytica to create extremely specific political ads, had aimed to have a negative influence and change on voters’ views.

The most successful tactics used was manipulation of voters to the path they wanted them to take to.

Advertisements, fake news, fabricated AI video, misleading information were designed by Cambridge Analytica CA intended to influence voters from different categories by appealing to their troubles and anxieties, another group who would have issues with immigration and gun controls, yet some advertisements for the undecided voters in the swing states based on economy and employment, so on and so forth.

Another strategy was used by CA and Facebook was to target audience and especially voters who were decisive, and some others determined with the final tally to be within the Electoral College's control. 

According to above mentioned sources, through such tactics, persuadable and soft voters found easily targeted and got their mind changed, as an outcome 10 thousand voters voted for Tramp.

Hundred thousand of Facebook users were able to see advertisements placed by Cambridge Analytica, but no one else could, that was the wave would go in the manipulative circle, targeting one’s mind and emotions, by emboldening for something that individuals didn’t want to do in the first place.

It was affirmed by the internal sources that Cambridge Analytica was able to convince many of the undecided voters to vote for Trump, and to depress the voters who were determined to vote for their preference political party, by pointing out the weaknesses and the issues would push the voters to risky pitch.

The scandal generated much criticism against Facebook company for not safeguarding users’ data and information. In the United States of America, the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) charged Facebook with $5 billion in penalties. Cambridge Analytica filed for closure, but this case pointed out how much data privacy laws should be enhanced and how personal data can be exploited.

Implications on Kurdistan Regional Parliamentary General Election 

As the Parliamentary General Election in Kurdistan Region is coming up in October this year, there are many challenges are on the way, particularly the online fake news, fabricated (AI) videos, misleading information, online videos or attacks, all of it can go viral within seconds.

The Kurdistan Regional Government have now more effort and work to put on the online duties to tackle serious online issues related to the election and voting process.

The political and social situation generally in Iraq with ethnically and sectarian diverse population, in regard to that the same tactics used by Facebook and Cambridge Analytica apply to manipulate Kurds in Kurdistan Region and voters from south and middle of Iraq.

It is understood that there are third-party firms must have developed apps or tools captured the personal information and play their games to herd the wave where it is intended to.

Already the information on users’ ethnic origin, religious inclinations, political affiliations, behavioral data like the online activities, previous purchases, and media choice of watch and following what and who, social relations exposed online.

Data brokers could obtain all of that information from different sources just by surfing the internet services such as social networks, online shops, and records that are open to the public to develop databases.

The Kurdistan Regional Government to tackle those serious issues, especially the online hacks and cyber-attack, by assigning experts and allocating already-trained-staff to highlight and sort out online propagandas, as well as to issue the awareness and educating campaigns among the community in the region and providing more official trustworthy sources online. 

Prepared and interpreted by Seyran