TrudeauLiberals under investigation for data mining Facebook

[Gone_Fishin]

Liberals tried pilot project with Facebook data whistleblower in 2016: source

By The Canadian Press - March 21, 2018


OTTAWA — The Canadian data scientist who admitted to helping political parties score electoral wins by exploiting the private information of millions of Facebook users also oversaw a short-lived pilot project for the federal Liberals shortly after the 2015 election, The Canadian Press has learned.

Christopher Wylie came forward in recent days with accusations that a voter-profiling company improperly harvested Facebook data from some 50 million users in order to help seal victories for the Trump campaign and in the U.K.’s Brexit referendum.

Wylie has insisted in interviews that he not only played a pivotal role in developing the data-mining technique, he also helped establish Cambridge Analytica, the firm at the heart of the controversy that was first revealed by The Guardian newspaper and the New York Times.

In January 2016, months before U.S. President Donald Trump’s win, Wylie pitched his services to the Liberal caucus research office, said a senior party source, who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss details of a private meeting.

Even before the meeting, Wylie had experience working at the highest levels of the party.

From 2007 to 2009, he worked in the office of the Liberal leader, when the party was helmed by Stephane Dion and Michael Ignatieff. He was also a member of the party’s youth commission.

Following the meeting, the Liberals signed a contract with Wylie in 2016 and he launched a pilot project, the source confirmed. The source would not provide further details on the nature of the contract or its duration, saying only that Wylie’s services were focused on “information management.”

snip

When asked about the party’s interactions with the data expert, a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed that a meeting took place between Wylie and the Liberal caucus research bureau in January 2016.

“Mr. Wylie did some preliminary work for the Liberal caucus research bureau but ultimately it was decided not to move forward with his services,” Chantal Gagnon said in a brief email.

Earlier this week, The Canadian Press spoke with an acquaintance of Wylie’s who described having drinks with the data expert in Ottawa in November 2015, a few weeks after the federal election.

The acquaintance said Wylie talked about his plans to shop his Facebook data-mining techniques in the national capital, including with the Liberals, and also in Washington with the Republican party.

Wylie described using a Facebook survey as an entry point to collect user data, and the pair discussed the ethical concerns surrounding the method, said the acquaintance.

By 2009, during Wylie’s stint working for the Liberal leader’s office, he had already begun to develop strategies on how politicians could capitalize on information collected through social media, another former Liberal insider said earlier this week.

At that time, Wylie was pushing a fledgling form of the data-harvesting technique, but the idea was considered too invasive and raised concerns with the Liberals, who decided they didn’t want anything to do with it and chose not to renew his contract, said the insider, who also discussed the matter only on condition of anonymity.

Wylie has not responded to interview requests by The Canadian Press.

The federal privacy commissioner has formally launched an investigation to determine whether any personal information of Canadians was affected by the alleged unauthorized access to Facebook user profiles.

snip

Facebook has denied the data collection was a breach because people knowingly provided their information. The company has said a University of Cambridge psychology professor accessed the information after he requested it from users who gave their consent when they chose to sign up for his test via a Facebook app.

Newspaper reports have said Facebook first learned of the data leak more than two years ago, but didn’t disclose it until now.

Cambridge Analytica has “strongly denied” the allegations that it had improperly obtained Facebook data.

The company has also insisted Wylie was a contractor, not a founder, as he has claimed. Wylie, a 28-year-old from British Columbia, left the firm in 2014.

Trump’s campaign has denied using the Cambridge Analytica’s data, saying it relied on the Republican National Committee for its information.

Follow @AndyBlatchford on Twitter

— with files from Associated Press

Andy Blatchford, The Canadian Press


https://www.thepostmillennial.com/liber ... 16-source/

[TreeGuy]

[Gone_Fishin]

Trudeau tries to control social media, other guys burned books. Same ideology, IMO.

[Queen K]

Data mining is everywhere and political parties are no different in seeing if it has some useful applications.

The only criteria to be concerned about is: "is the data paid for and taken with permission from the users."

No one wants to be responsible for stalking on facebook, do they?

[Gone_Fishin]

So, more details are out, and we find out that Trudeau used $100,000 of taxpayers' money to pay for this data mining, the results of which are to help the Liberals Party of Canada in elections. Oh boy, more rot in Justin's closet.


Liberals Paid $100K To Facebook Whistleblower Christopher Wylie's Company In 2016

OTTAWA — Federal Liberals are sharing details about a $100,000 pilot project undertaken for their caucus research bureau by the Canadian data scientist who triggered an international uproar over his allegations that Facebook users' data was inappropriately harvested for political gain.

Christopher Wylie came forward in recent days with accusations that a voter-profiling company improperly collected private information from some 50 million Facebook users in order to help seal 2016 victories for Donald Trump's presidential campaign in the U.S. and in the U.K.'s Brexit referendum.

Wylie has said in media interviews that he not only played a key role in developing the data-mining technique, he also helped establish the Cambridge Analytica firm he alleges was behind it.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2018/03/21 ... _23391503/

[Queen K]

100K seems rather cheap in todays World.

Did the Liberals deliberately request illegally obtained data or did the company fail to disclose their methods?

I'm going with "failed to disclose their methodology." Why aren't you Gone_Fishin? Are you so blinded that you want us to believe that the Trudeau Liberal Election machine WANTED illegally obtained data?

Oh, and one could argue that the Harper years played much more of a role than 100K worth of data. Besides so many women thinking Trudeau was "good looking."

Just asking.

[Gone_Fishin]

You're a two percenter, QK. https://forums.castanet.net/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=77657

[Queen K]

JFlem, GF

No, I am not. I have agreed with you and your posts many times over. But I am able to separate out what Trudeau is responsible for and what he is not. Unlike you.

So take me off the 2% list, and do it now.