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AggregateIQ Created Cambridge Analytica's Election Software

39 points by johnny313 9y ago

steve_adams_86 9y ago
I hate to admit it, but I sat in a room with these guys and heard them discuss the Ted Cruz stuff a while back. They spoke incredibly candidly about their intentions and fully acknowledged this was morally questionable. They even offered me work - their cut of the ad spend was huge and there'd be plenty of work for a dev. I think this was before Aggregate IQ was officially a thing... Possibly before they had dedicated developers. I politely declined. They laughed; it was funny to them to have a conscience about this stuff. I said I'm too burnt out from adtech. I'm glad I was, because earlier in my career I might have been more eager to take on responsibility and make more money. When this stuff first surfaced, I knew Aggregate was going to come to light. I know a lot of people who've contributed to their ad buying and I know they have no boundaries. We need regulation for these kinds of people. They were making incredible sums of money for doing this work.
- ictoan 9y ago
  Thank you for having a conscience and not doing these dirty work. Reading how these technology affected election outcomes make me want to work on the 'light' side. I'd love to help out in 2020 in some capacity for the right candidate.
- ProAm 9y ago
  > They were making incredible sums of money for doing this work. “It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.” - Upton Sinclair There are many people in all different lines of work that politely look the other way because it's how they feed their family and put a roof over their heads.
- wturner 9y ago
  It may be counterintuitive, but the most responsible thing people like you can do in those situations is to accept, play along for a year or two and then speak out publicly the way Christopher Wylie has. It's a one step back 5 steps foward approach to facillitating social innoculation against this kind of behavior.
  - steve_adams_86 9y ago
    You've got a point. I've intentionally distanced myself from these people (At one point they were my clients), but now the distance has only made it so I can't easily expose what they get up to. It might necessary for own sanity though; working with these types of people became a substantial burden for me. No one cares about anything but they payout. It got old fast.
    - tgragnato 9y ago
      > AggregateIQ works in full compliance within all legal and regulatory requirements in all jurisdictions where it operates. It has never knowingly been involved in any illegal activity. All work AggregateIQ does for each client is kept separate from every other client. Their main page actually reads kind of laughable, hence you probably have a point too. Let the creepy people make their shady affairs, not everyone has to be a hero.

39 points by johnny313 9y ago

I hate to admit it, but I sat in a room with these guys and heard them discuss the Ted Cruz stuff a while back. They spoke incredibly candidly about their intentions and fully acknowledged this was morally questionable. They even offered me work - their cut of the ad spend was huge and there'd be plenty of work for a dev. I think this was before Aggregate IQ was officially a thing... Possibly before they had dedicated developers. I politely declined. They laughed; it was funny to them to have a conscience about this stuff. I said I'm too burnt out from adtech. I'm glad I was, because earlier in my career I might have been more eager to take on responsibility and make more money. When this stuff first surfaced, I knew Aggregate was going to come to light. I know a lot of people who've contributed to their ad buying and I know they have no boundaries. We need regulation for these kinds of people. They were making incredible sums of money for doing this work.

ictoan 9y ago
Thank you for having a conscience and not doing these dirty work. Reading how these technology affected election outcomes make me want to work on the 'light' side. I'd love to help out in 2020 in some capacity for the right candidate.
ProAm 9y ago
> They were making incredible sums of money for doing this work. “It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.” - Upton Sinclair There are many people in all different lines of work that politely look the other way because it's how they feed their family and put a roof over their heads.
wturner 9y ago
It may be counterintuitive, but the most responsible thing people like you can do in those situations is to accept, play along for a year or two and then speak out publicly the way Christopher Wylie has. It's a one step back 5 steps foward approach to facillitating social innoculation against this kind of behavior.
- steve_adams_86 9y ago
  You've got a point. I've intentionally distanced myself from these people (At one point they were my clients), but now the distance has only made it so I can't easily expose what they get up to. It might necessary for own sanity though; working with these types of people became a substantial burden for me. No one cares about anything but they payout. It got old fast.
  - tgragnato 9y ago
    > AggregateIQ works in full compliance within all legal and regulatory requirements in all jurisdictions where it operates. It has never knowingly been involved in any illegal activity. All work AggregateIQ does for each client is kept separate from every other client. Their main page actually reads kind of laughable, hence you probably have a point too. Let the creepy people make their shady affairs, not everyone has to be a hero.