Revisiting the Cambridge Analytica Scandal

The Beginning of the War for Data Control?

[Note: This article is a bit darker than normal. It’s a bit random in nature but brings to attention the worrisome progression of our digital footprint’s being fed into AI to help shape the public narrative. They used to say “data” is the new oil. They are so wrong. Its your personal data that is the new oil and the use of this data is far dirtier and more destructive than oil has even been. The war for the control of this new resource has only begun and reminds me of a scandal which broke over 6 years ago. I will pick a happier subject next time. Promise.]

The “Scandal”

The Cambridge Analytica scandal, which came to light in 2018 through whistleblower Christopher Wylie, exposed a breach of trust and privacy between Facebook and its users. This scandal centered around the unauthorized collection of personal data from millions of Facebook users, which was then used by Cambridge Analytica to allegedly influence voter behavior and manipulate elections in favor of conversative leaning political parties, most notably the 2016 U.S. Presidential election (Trump vs. Clinton) and the Brexit referendum.

Facebook was accused of failing to protect its users' data and prevent its misuse, faced a record $5 Billion dollar fine from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for privacy violations. The whistle blower brought this to light due to the unethical use of personal data and the potential for digital platforms and his fear of it being weaponized for political manipulation.

Was this a scandal because of the fact the data was for right wing political parties or was it a scandal for a truly unacceptable privacy violation? The whistle blower was a Canadian with Liberal (left wing) party ties. If Cambridge Analytica had been working for left wing parties would the whistle have been blown?

In my humble opinion having our digital footprints scraped by Big Tech and fed into AI to help anyone spin the narrative for either side is wrong. Was this the beginning of the public war of data control?

Facebook did pay the fine of $5 Billion dollars. Facebook’s net worth in 2018 was $374 billion dollars. Their value today in 2024 is $1.26 Trillion (with a T!). To them the $5 billion dollar fine was the cost of doing business and was worth paying every cent so they could continue to harvest and sell its users personal information and digital footprints to the highest bidders, as long as the bidder follows the same narrative as Facebook. We all know the scandal stopped nothing. Your personal data is their oil, don’t forget it.

[Note: Seems like $5 Billion dollars is the number Big Tech pays when caught violating privacy, as Google just paid a $5 Billion fine lying about Chrome’s private mode.]

The Invisible Puppeteers of AI

Our social media feeds are being fed into sophisticated AI models. The AI is not built just to captivate our attention but to direct our attention to subjects according to unseen agendas. Government’s and Big Tech corporations use AI algorithms to nudge public opinion, reinforce specific narratives, and subtly control the discourse.

By exploiting the conversations of millions of unsuspecting Facebook users, Cambridge Analytica orchestrated a massive psychological manipulation campaign, attempting to influence political outcomes and demonstrating the formidable power of personal data when weaponized to feed AI-driven propaganda machines. This scandal is not just merely a breach of privacy; it shows the risks of allowing such vast repositories of personal information and personal conversations to be collected and used as tools for narrative control by those with the means and money to access it.

With the advancements in AI, made popular by Open AI / Chat GTP, what Big Tech can now extract from global conversations in 2024 is shocking. AI in 2016 was a kitten and today it is a lion, and do we ever hear it roar!

Question, was it a scandal because it was used for conservative viewpoints thus being labeled propaganda? Truth for one may be propaganda for another. We know these same tactics are being deployed by both sides relentlessly.

So what about in 2020, when Facebook and Twitter suppressed the Hunter Biden laptop story and even had it categorized as Russian fake news interference. When proven untrue, did I see the outrage at manipulation of the narrative? Zuck at Facebook is on record saying the CIA told him the “laptop” story was fake news by the Russians and they needed to suppress it. How is this any less of a scandal?

Both situations are wrong, but now we blame social media for the outcomes of elections and not the people casting their votes and their own ability to pick a candidate?

Does the “establishment” really believe controlling the data, with the help of AI, they can control the narrative? I was taught in Grade 10 science class not to believe anything that you see on TV or read in the newspaper until you validate it for yourself. It is sad to think that now anything we see on TV or the Internet --- “we” instantly believe. Its tearing the fabric of civil society apart. I just want to scream! Do you feel as helpless as I do? What do we do? What do you do?

Lullabies by AI

The governments and Big Tech sing the songs of public interest—promoting health, safety, and community (we are all in this together). Like a lullaby, the song is self-serving to put us analytically asleep and turn us into sheep.

AI not only can learn about us but can also adapt and modify the narrative of digital conversations in almost real time. So as public sentiment changes for or against the narrative, it can adapt its message to help it mold the public psyche, enabling the powerful to drown out dissenting voices and amplify their agenda under the pretext of societal good.

AI will start playing a game of digital sleight which the citizens are the unwitting participants in a grand theater production, where the script benefits the directors (WEF) more than the actors (global citizens).

Has anyone felt played over the past 4 years? I have.

The Addictive Cost of Convenience

We like the personalized experiences offered by social media platforms, always overlooking the fact that we are the greasy product. This data is not just for targeted advertising but is becoming a mechanism for more profound social engineering efforts. The Cambridge Analytica scandal peeled back the curtain on this reality – exposing a glimpse of a dystopian potential where our innermost thoughts and preferences are open books to the highest bidder, read and utilized by those seeking to mold the world to their vision.

The Echo Chamber Effect

Many point out social media insulates us within echo chambers, reinforcing existing beliefs and shielding us from divergent viewpoints. The danger here is not just in the information presented, but in what is omitted, crafting a reality that supports a singular narrative while silencing opposition. AI echo chambers become more dangerous as they learn how to inject other information into the chamber to adapt your way of thinking slowly and subliminally. Sneaky.

One social media platform that is trying to break this is Twitter. Under Musk’s guidance the data feed is sprinkled with alternate or opposing views to make sure you are not always in your echo chamber. Difference of opinions and challenges to your own thinking is important to grow as a person. I thought it was great that Tucker Carlson (former Fox) had Chris Cuomo (former CNN) on his show to demonstrate two people that sit on very different ideological sides can have a conversation together and maybe even an enjoyable conversation.

Reddit – The Latest Concern

Concerns have been growing among the public about the use of Reddit data to feed artificial intelligence (AI) systems. This apprehension stems from the fear that personal anecdotes, opinions, and discussions shared on the platform could be mined without explicit consent, feeding into AI algorithms that learn from this vast repository of human interaction.

Users worry about the implications for privacy, the potential for out-of-context data usage, and the ethical considerations of training AI with information that was shared in what many consider a semi-private space. This can perpetuate biases, misunderstandings, or violate the trust of the platform's users. Reddit was a place you could have passionate discussions about almost anything. Now these discussions are going to be used to help AI understand us or the worst of us.

Cautionary Tale and Conclusion

Bottom line: limit your social media usage, starve them of their data. Encrypt all digital communications, make them all only accessible by you and those you trust.

Belong to an Organic Social Network of real places and real people, not fake places and phony people…

… because everything you do on the Internet is not only stored and analyzed but now being fed into AI to help the weavers of the narrative spin a tighter web. I believe the Cambridge Analytica scandal only came to light because this data was being used by conservative parties and the severity of the scandal is that the “left” could not fathom the “right” having this “power”. If the tables were turned, would we have never heard of this scandal? Either way, the use of this data in this manner was unethical.

The question we need to ask ourselves is …

… do you as a person continue to feed these algorithms with your digital lifestyle to help the ‘establishment’ perfect their message and help push their narratives?

I am thinking of making shirts with “Your data, Your choice” as I wish this was true. The only data you have control over is the data you encrypt with your private keys that are solely under your control.

Reconsider the price of your digital convenience and demand a future where technology serves humanity, not the other way around. Unfortunately, we are creating our AI overlords with every keystroke.

[Putting on my Tinfoil Hat: Was the Cambridge Analytica scandal really a legit outcry for better rules around the use of personal private data or was it a signal to the “establishments” worldwide that the data war has begun?]

May your life be full of friends, family, peace, and privacy,

Will