Facebook has suspended the data firm reportedly implicated in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, the Guardian today revealed.
The tech giant suspended AggregateIQ (AIQ) from its social media platform after reports surfaced that claim the company may be connected to Cambridge Analytica’s (CA) parent company SCL.
The official Vote Leave campaign paid AIQ £2.7m ($3.8m) ahead of the 2016 EU referendum – 40% of its budget.
AIQ denies ever being part of Cambridge Analytica
In an announcement on Friday, Facebook said: “In light of recent reports that AggregateIQ may be affiliated with 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.
“Our internal review continues, and we will cooperate fully with any investigations by regulatory authorities.”
Facebook said that AIQ could have improperly received millions of users’ data.
AIQ denies ever being part of CA or its parent company SCL. It also denies accessing improperly obtained Facebook data.
The scandal lead to the #DeleteFacebook movement on social media.
Read more on Cambridge Analytica:
Cambridge Analytica whistleblower Christopher Wylie: ‘My predecessor may have been poisoned’
Cambridge Analytica: We need to ask bigger questions about who is influencing us, and why
