Facebook Suspends AggregateIQ – A Canadian Data Firm

• New information surfaces regarding AggregateIQ - a Canadian data firm, and their possible connection to the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
• Following the news, Facebook has suspended AIQ from accessing their platform.
• AIQ, on the other hand, has posted on their website that the company is not, and has never been associated with SCL or CA, and is "100% Canadian owned and operated."

In recent developments with the Cambridge Analytica scandal, CA employee Christopher Wylie has revealed that the Vote Leave campaign has exceeded referendum spending rules and also tried to destroy evidence. In doing so, a significant amount was invested to AggregateIQ which has links to Cambridge Analytica. Wylie claims that he helped during the formation of the company.

Shahmir Sanni, former Vote Leave volunteer was also present with Wylie and has provided documents which proves that the Vote Leave campaign spent around 2.7 million pounds on AIQ and also sent around 65K worth of ‘donation’ via the BeLeave youth group.

Now Facebook, who has recently come under a lot of controversy revolving around Cambridge Analytica, has gone berserks with its privacy policies and started suspending multiple groups in affiliation with CA. And so, with the recent news about AggregateIQ’s association with CA, it was expected that the social media company would be swift to react.

Facebook, in a statement made to The Guardian, said, “in light of recent reports that AggregateIQ may be affiliated with (CA parent company) SCL and may, as a result, have improperly received FB user data, we have added them to the list of entities we have suspended from our platform while we investigate.”

Besides previously banning CA, and currently barring AIQ from accessing their platform, Facebook has also suspended Strategic Communication Laboratories (SCL) - the parent company of CA, along with Kogan - the developer of “thisisyourdigitallife” app which siphoned the data, and even whistleblower Wylie's access to the social media network. This will continue as long as investigations revolving around CA last.

Finally, Wylie stated that up until 2016, CA was AIQ’s only client and it was then referred to as SCL Canada. Furthermore, AIQ’s websites proudly boasted the testimony of the Vote Leave campaign director stating, “we couldn't have done it without them.”

However, the Canadian data firm has currently posted the following statement on their website:

“AggregateIQ is a digital advertising, web, and software development company based in Canada. It is and has always been 100% Canadian owned and operated. 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.

AggregateIQ works in full compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements in all jurisdictions where it operates. It has never knowingly been involved in any illegal activity. All work AggregateIQ does for each client is kept separate from every other client.

AggregateIQ has never managed, nor did we ever have access to, any Facebook data or database allegedly obtained improperly by Cambridge Analytica.”