'It's a conspiracy theory': Facebook's vice-president Nick Clegg insists there is 'no evidence' Russia influenced the Brexit vote via the social media platform Former deputy PM agrees Russia influencing 2016 EU referendum is a 'myth' Sir Nick says there is 'no evidence of a significant attempt by outside forces' Ex-Lib Dem leader says the 'roots to British Euroscepticism go very, very deep'By Jack Maidment, Deputy Political Editor For Mailonline Published: 07:45 BST, 24 June 2019 | Updated: 09:47 BST, 24 June 2019 There is 'absolutely no evidence' that Russia influenced the EU referendum result using Facebook and those who claim otherwise are indulging in a conspiracy theory, the tech giant's vice-president Sir Nick Clegg has said. The former deputy prime minister, who started working for the company last October, also dismissed claims that Cambridge Analytica swayed people's decision to vote Leave in 2016. Up to 87 million people are believed to have had their data harvested by the political consultancy via a personality quiz app. Sir Nick told the BBC that Facebook had carried out analyses of its data and found no 'significant attempt' by outside forces to influence the referendum result. He said: 'I'd accept we need to act but there is absolutely no evidence that it happened in the Brexit referendum. 'We ran two full analyses of all the data we had in the run up to the Brexit referendum, we shared all of this information with the select committee in Westminster and elsewhere. 'We have found no evidence of a significant attempt by outside forces.' Sir Nick Clegg, pictured at The Times CEO summit earlier this month, joined Facebook last October after quitting frontline politics Sir Nick said he had 'heard it claimed' that Facebook data had been used by Cambridge Analytica during the 2016 EU referendum. 'In fact the watchdog, the UK watchdog, which has the data, we don't, we can't even analyse the data because haven't got access to it, have said in terms that there was no raw data from Facebook on the servers of Cambridge Analytica,' he told the BBC. 'But more than that they confirmed before that no UK voters' Facebook data was involved. 'So yes, Facebook has a heavy responsibility to protect the integrity of elections from outside interference. 'I also think we have a duty to explain facts from some of the allegations that have been made.' Numerous prominent Remain campaigners and senior political figures have suggested Russia helped to sway the result of the 2016 vote. Some have even called for a public inquiry into the matter. Sir Nick, an ardent Remainer, was asked if such claims were a 'myth' and a 'conspiracy theory' and he responded: 'Yes. Sir Nick Clegg (Stefan Rousseau/PA) 'I am someone who was debating with Nigel Farage before Facebook was invented and much though I understand why people want to reduce that eruption in British politics to some kind of plot or conspiracy or some use of new social media through opaque means, I am afraid the roots to British Euroscepticism go very, very deep. 'Candidly, over the last 40 years, have been much more influenced by traditional media than they have the new media.' In February, the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee published a report on disinformation and fake news. The 18-month inquiry looked into the effects of social media on society, Facebook's handling of users' data and allegations that the official Brexit campaigns broke electoral law during the referendum. MPs have called for greater regulation of tech companies and Sir Nick said implementing new rules was not something they 'can or should' do on their own. 'It's not for private companies, however big or small, to come up with those rules. It is for democratic politicians in the democratic world to do so,' he said. Share or comment on this article: Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility