Cambridge Analytica trashes whistleblowers claims
28 Mar 2018
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Cambridge Analytica has trashed the claims of a former part-time employee of data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica turned whistleblower Christopher Wylie, who had claimed the Congress Party may have been a client of the disgraced analytics firm.
Wylie had told a British parliamentary committee on Tuesday that he believed the Congress party was a client of the data analytics company, currently facing criminal investgations in the US an UK.
In his testimony to the British Parliament’s digital, culture, media and sports committee, Wylie said in response to a query on Cambridge Analytica’s work in India, “I believe their client was Congress. But I know that they have done all kinds of projects. I don’t remember a national project, but I know regionally.”
Cambridge Analytica said in a statement, "Chris Wylie was a part-time contractor who left Cambridge Analytica in July 2014 and has no direct knowledge of the company's work or practices since that date.
"He was at the company for less than a year, after which he was made the subject of restraining undertakings to prevent his misuse of the company's intellectual property while attempting to set up his own rival firm. He was not, as he claims, a founder of Cambridge Analytica.
"Wylie has misrepresented himself and the company to the committee, and previously to the news media. He admits himself that what he says is speculation," the statement added.
Cambridge Analytica is accused of mining personal data of Facebook users to influence elections in several countries including the US presidential elections, and an anti-Brexit campaign in the UK.
PTI reported from London, Paul-Olivier Dehaye, co-founder of PersonalData.IO, in his testomny to the committee said that he had heard reports of the India head of Cambridge Analytica being paid by an Indian billionaire who wanted the Congress Party to be defeated in the elections.
“So he was pretending to work for one party but actually paid underhand by someone else,” said Dehaye, referring to Dan Muresan, head of elections at SCL Group, who had been working in India before he died mysteriously in Kenya.
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