Before helping Trump win with data mining, Cambridge Analytica tipped elections with old-fashioned t

[UCmeNdc]

The data firm credited with skewing social media to help both the Trump and “Brexit” campaigns win last year got its start with much lower-tech efforts to tilt elections.

Cambridge Analytica boasts of targeting undecided voters on social media and serving them targeted messages and advertising based on the firm’s “psychographic data models,” although many critics describe their claims as “snake oil.”

The company and CEO Alexander Nix have enjoyed a high profile since selling high-tech solutions in those surprising election wins, but they pushed old-fashioned dirty tricks in previous work on political campaigns in several nations, reported Bloomberg News.

The 41-year-old Nix said his company’s new fame is “a double-edged sword,” because some clients prefer to keep a low profile.

“Previously we were able to do our job in the background,” said Nix, a popular speaker in the tech and marketing world.

Nix confirmed Feb. 8 that SCL had targeted voters on social media during the United Kingdom’s referendum on the European Union, but he has backed away from those claims after a newspaper report suggested Cambridge Analytica might have taken an unreported in-kind donation in violation of election law.


http://www.rawstory.com/2017/03/before-helping-trump-win-with-data-mining-cambridge-analytica-tipped-elections-with-old-fashioned-tricks/

[KittyWampus]

1. Democrats MUST use this technology. It's like using laser guided missiles vs carpet bombing.

Using data and social media can pinpoint people and their issues.

It's not just finding out what issues and methods will appeal to people, it's also helpful in figuring out what will turn them off of a candidate or keep them from bothering to even vote.

This is ultimately much less expensive than purchasing millions of tv advertising.

Clinton was doing millions of dollars on ads that were like scattershot while Trump was using precisely tuned messaging to many different demographics.

Another analogy >>> muskets versus rifles.

[BSdetect]

2. Bigger threat than any other to democracy.

Pure scum at work.

[KittyWampus]

3. Only if it's one sided, used by only one party.

[ymetca]

4. I read that this company used Facebook ads

which "targeted" people to "nudge" their opinions on gun control in several clever ways:

If the target was a mom in urban Chicago, she'd get an ad with an image of a shadowy figure breaking into a house and a mom clutching her kid, with words like "Hillary doesn't think you should be able to defend your family".

If the target was a rural, near-retirement guy in Indiana, he'd get an ad with an image of a grandfather hunting with his grandson, with words like "Hillary wants to destroy your precious traditions".

I think that was just the start. They had others designed to "nudge" Bernie supporters away from Hillary using all that "fake news" crapola ginned up against her by the off-shore hackers.

The analytics of big data collection enables these sort of subtle games of "doubt mercantilism". Judging by what shoes you buy they can determine where you stand on various issues. That sort of stuff.

[bigbrother05]

5. This is why they are breaking the ISP privacy policy

Anything you touch virtually will be combed to target you for manipulation and sale to the highest bidder without your consent or knowledge.

We didn't just invited Big Brother into our homes, we're paying for them to be there.