Did Facebook Data Leak Win The Election For Trump?

Cambridge Analytica, the voter-profiling company that assisted the Trump campaign, used personal data from millions of Facebook users. The money for the project is said to have come from billionaire Robert Mercer, and the work was promoted if not spearheaded by the former close ally of Trump, Steve Bannon. The data, culled in part by compiling and analyzing “likes” from Facebook users, allowed Cambridge to build “psychographic profiles.” Some argue that whole concept is just rot, but others maintain such profiles are immensely valuable in formulating targeted political messages in a way that results in solid votes. The data is said to have been gathered by a Russian-born researcher, and Facebook now says it was tricked into believing he would be using it for academic purposes. A former Cambridge Analytics employee and one of its founders – now involved in an IP dispute with the company -says its leaders consider themselves in a war, where “it’s all fair.” The deputy GC of Facebook, maintaining they were defrauded, now demands that the leaked information be “deleted.” Meanwhile, Mueller is said to want the emails of Cambridge Analytica employees who worked for the Trump campaign.