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| Boris Johnson, Jennifer Arcuri, and the mysterious Annie Tacker | Boris Johnson, Jennifer Arcuri, and the mysterious Annie Tacker |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| There are many unanswered questions surrounding Boris Johnson's friendship with the US businesswoman Jennifer Arcuri. | There are many unanswered questions surrounding Boris Johnson's friendship with the US businesswoman Jennifer Arcuri. |
| For the past two days I've been investigating one of the more bizarre of them: who is her UK-based media manager and is she even real? | For the past two days I've been investigating one of the more bizarre of them: who is her UK-based media manager and is she even real? |
| In September, following revelations in the Sunday Times, the government announced a review into a £100,000 grant given to one of Ms Arcuri's companies. | In September, following revelations in the Sunday Times, the government announced a review into a £100,000 grant given to one of Ms Arcuri's companies. |
| Hacker House was awarded the sum in February as part of a fund to increase the "diversity and numbers of those working in the UK's booming cyber security sector". | Hacker House was awarded the sum in February as part of a fund to increase the "diversity and numbers of those working in the UK's booming cyber security sector". |
| It has so far received £47,000. | It has so far received £47,000. |
| One of the questions MPs want the review to address is the extent of the company's links to the UK. The fund was intended for UK-registered companies only. | One of the questions MPs want the review to address is the extent of the company's links to the UK. The fund was intended for UK-registered companies only. |
| Digital and Broadband minister Matt Warman told MPs in September that Hacker House had a British phone number. But several people including Labour's shadow culture secretary Tom Watson pointed out that calls to that number were being answered by someone in California. | |
| Now questions have been raised about one of the company's employees claiming to be based in the UK. | Now questions have been raised about one of the company's employees claiming to be based in the UK. |
| At a hearing of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Wednesday, Paul Farrelly, a Labour MP on the committee, said that according to the professional networking website LinkedIn the company's media manager was someone called "Annie T". | At a hearing of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Wednesday, Paul Farrelly, a Labour MP on the committee, said that according to the professional networking website LinkedIn the company's media manager was someone called "Annie T". |
| But he said that after investigating, it appeared that Annie's profile picture was actually a stock image from a Pinterest page offering business women ideas for headshots. | But he said that after investigating, it appeared that Annie's profile picture was actually a stock image from a Pinterest page offering business women ideas for headshots. |
| Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan said the review would look at the evidence "with interest". | |
| So who is 'Annie T'? | So who is 'Annie T'? |
| Shortly after the session I sent Annie a message asking for an interview. I did not hear back. But I did soon receive a request to connect with someone called "Annie Tacker" on LinkedIn. | Shortly after the session I sent Annie a message asking for an interview. I did not hear back. But I did soon receive a request to connect with someone called "Annie Tacker" on LinkedIn. |
| Now I had a surname. But a search of various databases showed no one by that name resident in the UK, despite her profile stating she lived in Cheshire. | Now I had a surname. But a search of various databases showed no one by that name resident in the UK, despite her profile stating she lived in Cheshire. |
| A short while later, Annie published a bizarre post on Linkedin claiming that she'd been "outed" in the House of Commons. | A short while later, Annie published a bizarre post on Linkedin claiming that she'd been "outed" in the House of Commons. |
| "As a transitioning woman it's nobodies (sic) business but mine what I put on the Internet," she wrote. "The homophobic UK government should be discussing important topics instead of questioning my gender and identity!" | "As a transitioning woman it's nobodies (sic) business but mine what I put on the Internet," she wrote. "The homophobic UK government should be discussing important topics instead of questioning my gender and identity!" |
| The post was later deleted and replaced with one including the line: "I am totally real, more real than you'll ever be and more woman than he'll ever have!" | The post was later deleted and replaced with one including the line: "I am totally real, more real than you'll ever be and more woman than he'll ever have!" |
| I had noticed that by now her profile picture had changed - but something about the photo was still not right. | I had noticed that by now her profile picture had changed - but something about the photo was still not right. |
| A colleague tipped me off that it may be worth exploring if the photo was artificially generated online. These work by bringing together different elements from a large database of different faces to create completely new, artificially created photos. | A colleague tipped me off that it may be worth exploring if the photo was artificially generated online. These work by bringing together different elements from a large database of different faces to create completely new, artificially created photos. |
| I wrote to the computer science expert Prof Hany Farid at University of California, Berkeley, who specialises in the analysis of digital images. | I wrote to the computer science expert Prof Hany Farid at University of California, Berkeley, who specialises in the analysis of digital images. |
| He said the image in Annie T's LinkedIn profile contained "some tell-tale signs" of being synthesised. | He said the image in Annie T's LinkedIn profile contained "some tell-tale signs" of being synthesised. |
| He said her right ear seemed to be "misformed" and there was no jewellery on her left ear. | He said her right ear seemed to be "misformed" and there was no jewellery on her left ear. |
| Her right pupil appeared to be larger than her left, he added, and that there were "failures of symmetry and streaking artefacts" that are common in AI-synthesised content. | Her right pupil appeared to be larger than her left, he added, and that there were "failures of symmetry and streaking artefacts" that are common in AI-synthesised content. |
| "This, of course, does not mean that the image is definitely manipulated but it does raise suspicion," he added. | "This, of course, does not mean that the image is definitely manipulated but it does raise suspicion," he added. |
| If Annie's photo was dubious, there was other evidence from her LinkedIn profile that raised questions. | If Annie's photo was dubious, there was other evidence from her LinkedIn profile that raised questions. |
| Under the education section, she had posted that she had a bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering from the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in the US, saying she studied there between 2009 and 2013. This would make her an exceptionally well-qualified media manager for a tech company. | Under the education section, she had posted that she had a bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering from the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in the US, saying she studied there between 2009 and 2013. This would make her an exceptionally well-qualified media manager for a tech company. |
| But when I wrote to them to check, MIT said there was no record of anyone by the name of Annie Tacker having been a student. | But when I wrote to them to check, MIT said there was no record of anyone by the name of Annie Tacker having been a student. |
| Of course, it is possible Annie may have changed her name since then. | Of course, it is possible Annie may have changed her name since then. |
| But by now Prof Farid had spotted Annie's profile had changed again. Now she said she had studied at King Mongkut University of Technology, in Thailand, for her degree. | But by now Prof Farid had spotted Annie's profile had changed again. Now she said she had studied at King Mongkut University of Technology, in Thailand, for her degree. |
| I still had not heard back from Annie herself so I wrote instead to Hacker House to ask what they made of everything I had found. I also asked if it would be possible to speak to their elusive UK employee. | I still had not heard back from Annie herself so I wrote instead to Hacker House to ask what they made of everything I had found. I also asked if it would be possible to speak to their elusive UK employee. |
| I did not have to wait long for a reply. | I did not have to wait long for a reply. |
| Someone called Michael wrote to me to say Annie had not been included in any government funding payments or listed as an employee in any grant application. | Someone called Michael wrote to me to say Annie had not been included in any government funding payments or listed as an employee in any grant application. |
| "You should write your story about the juvenile snickering by ministers at the term 'penetration testing'," he said, adding: "We watched three MPs who were unable to hide their amusement at the professional terminology thus proving they have no business discussing digital industries or cyber security at all." | "You should write your story about the juvenile snickering by ministers at the term 'penetration testing'," he said, adding: "We watched three MPs who were unable to hide their amusement at the professional terminology thus proving they have no business discussing digital industries or cyber security at all." |
| For the avoidance of any doubt, penetration testing is where ethical hackers launch their own cyber-attack on a computer system to check how secure it is. | For the avoidance of any doubt, penetration testing is where ethical hackers launch their own cyber-attack on a computer system to check how secure it is. |
| Michael added that Hacker House "had approximately 10 full-time staff in the UK" - note the use of the past tense - and had a handful of supporting contractors in South America and Asia. | Michael added that Hacker House "had approximately 10 full-time staff in the UK" - note the use of the past tense - and had a handful of supporting contractors in South America and Asia. |
| He said the company's receptionist had quit after the public called her "10,000 times" to ask if she was living in California. | He said the company's receptionist had quit after the public called her "10,000 times" to ask if she was living in California. |
| "Once people stop calling with abusive and harassing messages, we will begin to have staff answer the phones again," he added. | "Once people stop calling with abusive and harassing messages, we will begin to have staff answer the phones again," he added. |
| I wrote back thanking Michael for his email but asking again if he could confirm if Annie was real and if I could speak to her. I have still not heard back. | I wrote back thanking Michael for his email but asking again if he could confirm if Annie was real and if I could speak to her. I have still not heard back. |
| Of course, it could be that Annie Tacker is real after all, that the photo is genuine or that she is just someone who is protective of her identity - in which case, I am sorry. | Of course, it could be that Annie Tacker is real after all, that the photo is genuine or that she is just someone who is protective of her identity - in which case, I am sorry. |
| But MPs on the DCMS committee are likely to want a more definitive answer to this question from the government's review. It is due at the end of this month. | But MPs on the DCMS committee are likely to want a more definitive answer to this question from the government's review. It is due at the end of this month. |
| Follow Phil Kemp on Twitter @phill_kemp | Follow Phil Kemp on Twitter @phill_kemp |