INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption
Facebook claims AIQ spent $2m (£1.43m) during the Brexit referendum
The UK's Information Commissioner is considering legal action against Canadian data firm AggregateIQ (AIQ).It follows testimony from
co-founder Jeff Silvester to Canadian MPs in which he claimed to be co-operating with the watchdog's inquiry into Cambridge Analytica.In a
statement, commissioner Elizabeth Denham said this was not the case.AIQ is implicated in a data privacy row involving Facebook and the
political consultancy.Ms Denham said: "The Canadian company Aggregate IQ has so far not answered the substance of our questions in the ICO's
investigation."In recent correspondence we were advised that the company would not answer any more questions from my office, stated it was
not subject to our jurisdiction, and considered the matter closed
We are considering the legal steps available to obtain the information."In response, Mr Silvester said his firm had received two letters
from the ICO, one in May 2017 and one in January 2018."We responded to both as fully as we were able to and in a prompt manner," he told the
BBC."We would prefer that the UK Information Commissioner simply contact us if she has new questions to ask
In fact we are waiting on the commissioner to respond to two letters we sent her office recently."Evidence to MPsAIQ faces a range of other
questions.Ex-Cambridge Analytica employee Christopher Wylie alleges AIQ was given 40% of Vote Leave's budget to create "digital and social
targeting" for the Brexit referendum campaign.He also alleges the Canadian firm had extremely close ties with Cambridge Analytica.In a
written statement to MPs who are investigating both firms, he claims AIQ was set up to solely to build online advertising technologies for
Cambridge Analytica and its parent firm SCL.Prior to this, he claims, AIQ had no clients.In separate testimony to MPs, Facebook's chief
technology officer Mike Schroepfer said it had also found links between the firms.Mr Silvester confirmed to the BBC that his firm did
undertake work for SCL between 2013 and 2016 but disputed Mr Wylie's claims that it was set up solely for that purpose.Cambridge Analytica
has denied it had "direct links" to AIQ, saying it was introduced to the firm by Mr Wylie."Zack Massingham, our chief executive officer,
created AggregateIQ in 2011 for his personal political work
Zack and I then incorporated in 2013 to work together," Mr Silvester told the BBC.The firm also faces questions about political advertising
it undertook for Vote Leave during the Brexit referendum.During his testimony, Mr Schroepfer told MPs that AIQ had spent $2m (£1.6m) on
Facebook advertising for the campaign.He said he did not know where AIQ had acquired the data for this advertising but thought the
information for its targeted ads came "from email lists" rather than from the app created by Dr Aleksandr Kogan, which is at the heart of
the data scandal.Mr Silvester told the BBC that his firm "did not use any improperly-obtained Facebook data"."The only personal information
we use in our work is that which is provided to us by our clients for specific purposes
In doing so, we do our very best to comply with all applicable privacy laws in each jurisdiction where we work."The firm has, however, been
suspended by Facebook.Tracking down the data firmImage caption
The office was left "hurriedly" in January and is now
empty
The BBC recently visited Victoria where AIQ is based to try and find out a little more about the firm and its links
to Brexit.According to Google Maps, its address is listed as 501 Pandora Street, which is part of a trendy square, just off the waterfront
in British Columbia's capital city Victoria.AIQ's old office is up for lease and, according to the property management company "two guys had
left hurriedly in January"
Image caption
AIQ has new offices nearby but only two people were working there
Neither wanted to talk to the BBC
Then the BBC received a tip-off that the firm had just recently relocated to an office two
blocks away.The third floor office, also home to a law firm and a software and engineering company, was almost entirely empty
There were only two people working there and a dark-haired man who appeared to be in his early 30s came to the door but refused to speak to
the BBC.According to Mr Silvester the move in January "was scheduled for some time".He added that the firm currently has seven full-time
employees, who are all software developers and online advertising specialists.
