WATCH: It’s a small company facing major allegations. Victoria data firm AggregateIQ has been implicated in an international election scandal. Whistleblower Chris Wylie, a former Victoria resident, said under oath that the company “bragged” about influencing elections around the world. April Lawrence reports.
Former Victoria resident Chris Wylie has alleged Victoria-based AggregateIQ (AIQ) of undermining “democratic institutions” around the globe.
Testimony Tuesday morning by the whistleblower at the heart of the Facebook privacy scandal accused the marketing and software development company of playing a significant role in the outcome of the 2016 Brexit vote.
Wylie testified before the British Parliament’s media committee on the Brexit vote outcome.
Wylie said he “absolutely” believed AIQ drew from databases from Cambridge Analytica to target people seen as key to swaying the referendum.
The committee was told by Wylie it is “incredibly reasonable to say that A-I-Q played a very significant role in Leave winning.”
The data scientist, who helped found Cambridge Analytica, also accused AIQ of other unethical operations by telling the committee, “this is a company that has gone around the world and undermined democratic institutions in all kinds of countries. They could care less as to whether or not their work is compliant because they like to win.”
Big accusations from Chris Wylie About B.C.-based AIQ. "This is a company that has gone around the world and undermined democratic institutions in all kinds of countries. They could care less as to whether or not their work is compliant because they like to win.”
— Thomas Daigle (@thomasdaigle) March 27, 2018
Wylie alleged AIQ influenced the Nigerian election with projects that involved “distributing violent videos of people being bled to death to intimidate voters.”
The committee chair noted “a large number of documents” were provided by Wylie on the allegations around AIQ’s involvement in Nigeria.
Wylie repeated allegations of the “Vote Leave” campaign by disguising payments being made to AIQ as a contribution to a student group called “BeLeave” in the amount of 625-thousand pounds.
AIQ has denied the allegations.
A statement on the AIQ website on March 24 says, “AggregateIQ has never been and is not a part of Cambridge Analytica or SCL. Aggregate IQ has never entered into a contract with Cambridge Analytica. Chris Wylie has never been employed by AggregateIQ.”
SCL is the parent company of Cambridge Analytica.
The statement goes on to say, “AggregateIQ works in full compliance within all legal and regulatory requirements in all jurisdictions where it operates. It has never knowingly been involved in any illegal activity.”
Wyley earlier accused Cambridge Analytica of using data from 50-million Facebook users to help Donald Trump’s 2016 U.S. presidential campaign.
With files from CBC and the Canadian Press.
Video image of former Victoria resident Chris Wylie, testifying before a British parliamentary committee Tuesday. Photo courtesy Daily Mail.
Andy Neal
