Ex-Cambridge Analytica employees set up new data analytics firm

Former Cambridge Analytica (CA) employees have set up a new data analytics company called Auspex International, according to a Financial Times report.

Auspex has been funded by Ahmed Al-Khatib, who joined Emerdata,the parent company of CA, as director in January 2018. Mark Turnbull, who was allegedly caught on camera by Channel 4 news saying he preys on people's emotion to get them to vote for CA's client, has been appointed as the managing director of the company.

"It was Turnbull’s integrity, along with his strong track record in strategic consultancy and campaigning, that persuaded Al-Khatib to appoint him," the company's press release states.

“I believe very strongly in the positive impact that ethically based, data-driven communications can have, particularly in the developing world where modern communication techniques can dramatically improve the lives of ordinary people. Aside from health campaigning, we also need to tackle the spread of extremist ideology which has poisoned my generation, preying on the minds of disenfranchised youth. We need to counter these messages of hate and violence," Al-Khatib said.

Seven other members of CA have joined Auspex and the company has already won a contract from an African country.

Al-Khatib added that they would use information from data brokers, public sources and look for ways to procure internet history and data from companies like Google.

"We believe that consultancies such as ours have a responsibility to operate — and be seen to operate — with integrity, however challenging the circumstances," Turnbull told BBC.

Cambridge Analytica had allegedly accessed data of 50 million people from Facebook and used them to run specific advertisements for political campaigns.