Victoria firm swept up in U.K. privacy-watchdog probe

Iplayed a Christy Clark/John Horgan kind of golf game Wednesday. Ended the day wishing I had been closer to the greens …

Right, time for some updates on previous columns: • The role a tiny Victoria firm played in 2016’s Britain’s Brexit campaign continues to draw attention across the Atlantic.

This winter, Britons were surprised to learn that groups promoting the U.K.’s withdrawal from the European Union had funnelled 3.5 million pounds — $5.8 million — through AggregateIQ Data Services, a company based out of a second-floor office in Market Square.

British media reports make the firm sound like something out of a Robert Ludlum novel, but in person, it looks like any other tech shop — a handful of young guys pecking away at computers in a space the size of your rumpus room. The firm often does digital marketing and other data-related work for clients from the political realm.

In February, AggregateIQ said the great majority of the Brexit money it handled went to online advertising. That’s what the company does: test clients’ messages and figure out how to deliver them to the right audience.

Now the Guardian newspaper reports that Britain’s privacy commissioner, Elizabeth Denham — yes, the Victorian who used to hold the same job in B.C. — has contacted AggregateIQ as she begins an investigation into the use of data analytics for political purposes. That would be consistent with her announcement that she will look at Brexit campaign practices, and the practices of companies that operate internationally, as part of a broader probe.

“Obviously we would co-operate with any official investigation or inquiry as best we can,” AggregateIQ chief operating officer Jeff Silvester said Wednesday.

All this comes as the U.K. prepares for a general election June 8. “Given the big data revolution, it is understandable that political campaigns are exploring the potential of advanced dataanalysis tools to help win votes,” Denham wrote on her blog. “The public have the right to expect that this takes place in accordance with the law as it relates to data protection and electronic marketing.” At issue is the potential use of computer wizardry to collect and share personal information, and to target individuals.

Denham has also contacted her old office here. “We are in preliminary discussions with the ICO in the U.K. about how we can work together in situations where organizations manage personal information in multiple jurisdictions,” Erin Beattie of the B.C. information and privacy commissioner’s office wrote in an e-mail Wednesday. • One of the outstanding (albeit lower-priority) questions from the provincial election is whether the government will push through a Greater Victorian amalgamation study.

The Liberals’ platform promised “to undertake a full review of CRD governance and work with communities on possible service integration or amalgamation, should residents support these initiatives.” The wording gives the Liberals wriggle room to continue siding with municipal councils over the majority of voters who answered “yes” when presented with some form of amalgamation question in 2014.

The NDP’s position, as stated to the Amalgamation Yes group, was less equivocal: “The people have spoken and their government should respect that, so as government, we would commission a study, and in collaboration with all 13 municipalities, move this file forward.” • In April, I feigned understanding as Glenlyon Norfolk School student Annie McLeod enthusiastically described her Vancouver Island Regional Science Fair project, which involved extracting dye from seaweed to create solar cells as a cheap, alternative source of energy. (I think.)

I am pleased to report that her project (official name: Marine Brown Algae Extracted Fucoxanthin and Phlorotannin in DSSC) won a gold medal at the CanadaWide Science Fair in Regina.

In fact, all seven Island students who entered returned with medals. Mount Doug’s Nattan Telmer won silver after figuring out how to prolong the life of sealion tracking sensors. He did this by using thermoelectric generators to create power from the heat difference between a sea lion and the water around it. (Again, I think).

Bronze medals went to Claremont’s Nicolas Fedrigo, Mount Doug’s Yassin Guitouni and three GNS students: Melody Cheng, Anastasia Castro and Ella Chan.

It’s worth repeating: An assessment of the scientific literacy of 15-year-olds from 72 countries just found that those from B.C. are second in the world, behind only those from Singapore.

This totally screws up my Cranky Old Guy perception of kids.