Julian Assange claimed earlier today that he had accepted an invitation to testify on Cambridge Analytica – but now the MPs involved have said he actually offered to appear.
Assange, who has been holed up in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London since 2012 after being accused in Sweden of rape and sexual assault by two women, tweeted earlier today about accepting the select committee’s ‘request’.
The Wikileaks founder wrote: ‘I have accepted a request by the select committee of the UK parliament @CommonsCMS to give evidence, via video link, about Cambridge Analytica, and other matters, later this month.’
Julian Assange claimed earlier today that he had accepted an invitation to testify on Cambridge Analytica, the firm who allegedly tapped the Facebook profiles of 50million users without consent
He tweeted: ‘I have accepted a request by the select committee of the UK parliament @CommonsCMS to give evidence, via video link, about Cambridge Analytica, and other matters, later this month’
But within half an hour of his tweet the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, who are running an inquiry into fake news, hit back at his claim.
The committee tweeted: ‘Mr Assange has offered to appear before the DCMS Committee, but no formal invitation has been issued for him to attend.’
The 46-year-old would have to appear via videolink as he fears extradition to the U.S. where he is wanted over Wikileaks’ releases of US military documents. Sweden dropped the sex charges against Assange last year.
Assange claimed he was invited to testify on Cambridge Analytica, a firm who allegedly tapped the Facebook profiles of more than 50million users without their consent.
The parliamentary inquiry into fake news has already called on Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to give evidence earlier today about the data scandal.
Earlier today Elizabeth Dunham, the Information Commissioner, attempted to get a warrant to search CA’s London officers and servers.
But within half an hour of his tweet the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, who are running an inquiry into fake news, hit back at his claim, saying ‘no formal invitation’ had been made