Liberals expected to face pressure over Wylie pilot project in 2016

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.

His allegations have forced policy-makers on both sides of the Atlantic to wrestle with growing public concerns that data collected by Facebook and other social-media companies are being misused as a way to influence elections.

After The Canadian Press revealed Wylie was contracted by the Liberals in early 2016, the party released more information Wednesday about the short-lived agreement _ and they insist that after seeing a sample of his services, they decided not to move forward.

The issue emerged as a dominant theme during question period in the House of Commons, where political rivals repeatedly questioned the government on the contract and the issue of protecting Canadians’ online privacy.

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer led off by demanding Prime Minister Justin Trudeau explain Wylie’s exact role with the Liberal government.

“Protecting the personal and privacy information of Canadians should be a top priority for government,’’ said Scheer, who noted how Wylie had also worked for previous Liberal leaders about a decade ago.

“Yet the prime minister has failed to be honest with Canadians about the Liberal Party’s relationship with an individual who has exploited the private information of millions of people around the world.’’