British: British company Cambridge Analytica has dismissed the claims of former employee and whistleblower Christopher Wylie, who had claimed that the firm worked extensively in India and was possibly employed by the Congress party.
In a statement, the company has said that 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”.
“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,” said Cambridge Analytica in response to the claims made by the former employee before a UK Parliamentary committee.
Wylie deposed before the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sports Committee (DCMS) amid an escalating row around alleged Facebook data breaches linked with the controversial UK-based company.
“When you look at Facebook’s biggest market, India is the top in terms of numbers of users. Obviously, that’s a country which is rife with political discord and opportunities for destabilisation,” said Labour MP Paul Farrelly, member of the parliamentary committee, during his questioning. “They (Cambridge Analytica) worked extensively in India. They have an office in India,” Wylie responded.
“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. India’s so big that one state can be as big as Britain. But they do have offices there, they do have staff there,” the 28-year-old added, on being probed further.
He offered to provide the committee “documentation” on India. During his evidence, Wylie also said that his predecessor, Dan Muresan, head of elections at SCL group, had also been working in India before he died in Kenya under mysterious circumstances. He claimed to have heard stories that Muresan, a Romanian national, may have been poisoned in a hotel room while in the African country, reported.
Bureau Report
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