Spanish political party claims it was approached by data firm Cambridge Analytica

A SPANISH far right political party has claimed it met with representatives of Cambridge Analytica, the technology firm implicated in using data to aid President Donald Trump’s election campaign.

A spokesperson from the Vox political party said company representatives had explained the kind of techniques they used in the 2016 United States Presidential Election campaign. The meeting reportedly took place shortly after Trump was elected.

Manuel Mariscal, Vox’s press head, said someone from Cambridge Analytica phoned him offering to meet and discuss a future business relationship.

“They approached us, but their services were very expensive and we could not pay.

“Maybe we found them attractive because we were the only party that supported Trump,” he said.

Mariscal added the company told them they were experts in tailoring political messages to different groups in order to boost parties’ election chances.

“They assured us they had the ability, thanks to their tools, to make it so only the housewives of a certain profile received messages adapted to what they were worried about.

“They said they could the same with all groups across Facebook,” he said.

Ali Martinez, a spokesperson for Cambridge Analytica’s parent company SCL, told Spanish media they had also spoken with other political parties in the country.

“We have presented our offering to several parties by friendship or suggestion,” he said.

Spanish media reported Martinez added the company had contacts in the Partido Socialista (PSOE), Ciudadanos and Podemos.

Cambridge Analytica, which closed down last week, reportedly received almost €5 million ($5.9 million) from Donald Trump’s campaign to help them win the election.

The company also worked with the Vote Leave campaign during Britain’s EU referendum campaign in 2016.

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Joe Gerrard

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