Evidence of meeting #113 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was know.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Jeff Silvester  Chief Operating Officer, AggregateIQ

10:50 a.m.

Chief Operating Officer, AggregateIQ

Jeff Silvester

We have written programs that will collect data, yes.

10:50 a.m.

Liberal

Frank Baylis Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC

Thank you.

Has your company written programs that do caller ID spoofing?

10:50 a.m.

Chief Operating Officer, AggregateIQ

10:50 a.m.

Liberal

Frank Baylis Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC

Okay. Are you aware that caller ID spoofing is illegal in the United States?

10:50 a.m.

Chief Operating Officer, AggregateIQ

Jeff Silvester

Yes, it's illegal in certain contexts.

10:50 a.m.

Liberal

Frank Baylis Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC

Okay. Are you aware that certain data harvesting is illegal in the U.K.?

10:50 a.m.

Chief Operating Officer, AggregateIQ

Jeff Silvester

Yes, there is certain data harvesting that would be illegal in the U.K.

10:50 a.m.

Liberal

Frank Baylis Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC

All right.

Do you know what “aiding and abetting a crime” means?

10:50 a.m.

Chief Operating Officer, AggregateIQ

Jeff Silvester

Not specifically, but in general terms, it's assisting someone with a crime.

10:50 a.m.

Liberal

Frank Baylis Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC

In a legal sense, if you didn't do the crime but you aided or abetted someone to do the crime, it means you can be found guilty too.

10:50 a.m.

Chief Operating Officer, AggregateIQ

10:50 a.m.

Liberal

Frank Baylis Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC

So if you program things that you know—or don't know, even, for that matter—are illegal and going to be used in an illegal manner, whether in the United States or the U.K., you're doing something illegal, and you are aiding and abetting a crime.

10:50 a.m.

Chief Operating Officer, AggregateIQ

10:50 a.m.

Liberal

Frank Baylis Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC

Mr. Massingham stated that you follow the laws wherever you operate.

10:50 a.m.

Chief Operating Officer, AggregateIQ

10:50 a.m.

Liberal

Frank Baylis Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC

But aiding and abetting crime is not following the law.

10:50 a.m.

Chief Operating Officer, AggregateIQ

Jeff Silvester

But we've never aided or abetted crime.

10:50 a.m.

Liberal

Frank Baylis Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC

You just said that you did caller ID spoofing.

10:50 a.m.

Chief Operating Officer, AggregateIQ

Jeff Silvester

What we—

10:50 a.m.

Liberal

Frank Baylis Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC

You just said that you did data harvesting in jurisdictions where it's not allowed, where it is illegal, so you have aided and abetted in a crime.

You know what? You're actually lucky. You know why? Because you stated very clearly to the U.K. people—and I'll repeat it—that “We are not subject to the jurisdiction of your office”. Why did you say that, again? Why did you write to her to say, “We are not subject to the jurisdiction of your office”?

10:50 a.m.

Chief Operating Officer, AggregateIQ

Jeff Silvester

Because it's true.

10:50 a.m.

Liberal

Frank Baylis Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC

I know it's true, but why did you need to tell her that?

10:50 a.m.

Chief Operating Officer, AggregateIQ

Jeff Silvester

Because we wanted to make sure that she was aware that we knew that.

10:50 a.m.

Liberal

Frank Baylis Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC

But why did you need to know that she was aware that you knew that?

10:50 a.m.

Chief Operating Officer, AggregateIQ

Jeff Silvester

Because we enjoy clear communication.