Thread: Why Are We Only Now Talking About Facebook And Elections?

This is a must read.


Why Are We Only Now Talking About Facebook And Elections?

As I wrote earlier today, the story of Cambridge Analytica that the press, public and elected officials seem to have fixated on is that of a rogue company run amok with breached data that manipulated unwitting Americans into electing the candidate of the company's choice (the company denies all of the allegations). A key thread of the narrative over the last three days has centered on the alleged impact of the company's data analysis on the 2016 presidential election with the undertone that if true, the company's actions somehow represent something new and unsettling in using data to advance a political campaign. To add a bit of perspective to this debate, it is worth looking back at two key ways in which the Obama campaign pioneered the modern data-driven campaign that is at the center of the Cambridge Analytica debate.


Read more:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kalevle.../#591690af4838

What's interesting about this article is that it hardly focuses on Trump, but rather goes back to how Obama "pioneered" the data farming for political exploitation.

Facebook did not respond to requests for comment on why it saw the Obama campaign’s use of its data as acceptable while it believes Cambridge Analytica’s use was not and specifically what distinctions it sees between the two use cases nor did it respond to a request for comment on whether it would be requesting that other researchers and organizations with large holdings of Facebook data restrict access to them or delete them entirely.

Originally Posted by A.J.

What's interesting about this article is that it hardly focuses on Trump, but rather goes back to how Obama "pioneered" the data farming for political exploitation.

Pioneered is the reason....Obama pioneered many things....he pioneered using the EO..the power of the pen....to legislate...once that can of worms is open it's fair game...

I read a funny comment though....it asked why can't these people just admit AMERICAN votes drove the outcome...

I doubt the Obama Facebook think would be being discussed if someone had not pointed to Trump first....then the emphasis shifted to, 'Why were you silent when Obama did it?'

CNN, FOX, NBC, ABC, NYT, WAPO, AP

They all use their platforms to influence elections, this has to be the most cock-eyed media story of the century.

Watching Bobbleheads on TEEVEE complaining about platforms being used to influence elections, the very definition of "lacks self-awareness", it's almost embarrassing to watch them.

How do they manage to keep straight faces?