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I remember that a little while after it first came out that Cambridge Analytica had abused Facebook data, an insider (from Facebook?) wrote a piece about how it
by ar-jan 7y ago
I remember that a little while after it first came out that Cambridge Analytica had abused Facebook data, an insider (from Facebook?) wrote a piece about how it was even worse before. That companies used to be able to siphon off much larger quantities of private data using APIs or bypassing various restrictions before Facebook restricted this further, and iirc that this was used by Obama's campaign team.
Looks like this isn't part of this documentary. Anyone recall this piece, and if anything more came of it?
- 52-6F-62 7y agoThat’s not the subject of the documentary. Why would they talk about Obama?
- ar-jan 7y agoFor one, it's common to discuss closely related topics in threads like these. I also believe that the topic of surveillance capitalism would get a better reception if it was less partisan. There's a lot of talk about Trump in there, but if companies before the Cambridge Analytica scandal were already abusing vast quantities of Facebook data, including for political ends, that is relevant context that's apparently left out.
- fit2rule 7y agoObviously, focusing on "the Russians" narrative is going to get the anti-Trump collective riled up, and as we all know if there is one thing that is good for business, its riled up reactive people. Especially Americans, who never lose a chance to revert to a Cold War mentality when their feelings are hurt. But, consider this: maybe after the outrage bubble that this movie will trigger is burst, there'll be room for a sequel - and then it'll be Obama's turn.
- 52-6F-62 7y agoWhat’s partisan about it? It’s discussing a singular topic.
- ar-jan 7y agoYou're not wrong, but I think it's a missed opportunity. At least for this article, which does discuss other things beyond just the documentary.
- CharlesW 7y ago> That companies used to be able to siphon off much larger quantities of private data using APIs or bypassing various restrictions before Facebook restricted this further, and iirc that this was used by Obama's campaign team. True, but the actions of the Obama campaign and Cambridge Analytica were significantly different in terms of disclosure and action. This seems like a good non-partisan summary[1]: > But in Obama’s case, direct users knew they were handing over their data to a political campaign. In the Cambridge Analytica case, users only knew were taking a personality quiz for academic purposes. The Obama campaign used the data to have their supporters contact their most persuadable friends. Cambridge Analytica targeted users, friends and lookalikes directly with digital ads. Whereas the data gathering and the uses were very different, the data each campaign gained access to was similar. [1] https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2018/mar/22/meghan-mccain/comparing-facebook-data-use-obama-cambridge-analyt/ https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2018/mar...
- ar-jan 7y agoThanks for the link. Unfortunately I didn't save the article I was referencing, but if I recall correctly it talked about obtaining data without the users being aware of it.