Cambridge Analytica chief called Barbados leader N-word: Report

The former chief of Cambridge Analytica – a controversial elections consultancy – has used a highly offensive racial slur to describe the prime minister of Barbados, according to leaked emails cited by The Guardian. 

Alexander Nix, whose firm accessed data from millions of Facebook users without authorisation, referred to Prime Minister Mia Mottley and Information Minister Lucille Moe using the N-word in the messages dated October 2010, The Guardian reported on Monday.

The report said Cambridge Analytica’s sister company, SCL Elections, was at the time pitching for business with the Barbados Labour party.

According to the messages published by The Guardian, a member of SCL’s team wrote to Nix on 15 October, saying: “I get the distinct impression they don’t want to talk to us.”

To which the SCL Elections boss replied: “they just n*****s.”

Nix did not respond to a request to comment on the issue, The Guardian said.

Firms closed

Both Cambridge Analytica and SCL Elections closed down earlier this year.

Moe confirmed to The Guardian in an emailed statement that SCL had contacted the Barbados Labour party in order to offer its services, but they were not hired.

“We were not comfortable working with them so we took a decision not to engage their services,” the report cited her as saying.

On March 17, the London Observer and The New York Times reported that UK-based data firm Cambridge Analytica acquired millions of Facebook users’ personal information to build software that could target potential swing voters in political campaigns, including US President Donald Trump‘s 2016 election bid.

Monday’s report is likely to raise concerns in the Caribbean.

Last month, The Guardian has been told, Nix made contact with the opposition Labour party of the east Caribbean state St Kitts and Nevis.

The offer has not been accepted by the party, the report said.