Cambridge Analytica whistleblower: 'We spent $1m harvesting millions of Facebook profiles'

Summary

The transcript features Christopher Wylie, a data scientist involved in establishing Cambridge Analytica. He reflects on the unethical nature of their work, which involved manipulating the psychology of entire nations, including the U.S., through the use of harvested Facebook data without users' consent. Wylie explains how the company, backed by billionaire Robert Mercer and led by Steve Bannon, built psychological profiles of voters to influence their behavior in elections. He acknowledges the role of Cambridge Analytica in the political landscape, expressing regret for his involvement and highlighting the broader dangers of such data manipulation.

Takeaways

• 😔 Christopher Wylie expresses regret and responsibility for his role in unethical experiments involving Cambridge Analytica.
• 😳 Cambridge Analytica manipulated the psychology of an entire nation during the democratic process without public consent or awareness.
• 😯 Cambridge Analytica was more than a data science company—it functioned as a full-service propaganda machine.
• 🤯 Steve Bannon, influenced by the Breitbart Doctrine, believed that changing culture was key to changing politics, and Cambridge Analytica was a tool for cultural manipulation.
• 🎯 Cambridge Analytica used Facebook data harvesting, collecting tens of millions of profiles to create psychological profiles and micro-target voters.
• 🙈 Facebook users had no idea their data, including private messages, was being harvested from their friend networks via apps.
• 📊 Cambridge Analytica combined micro-targeting and psychological constructs to manipulate voters based on their personality profiles.
• 🎥 A creative team within Cambridge Analytica generated tailored content to influence specific target profiles and lead them down 'rabbit holes' of thought.
• 🔇 The company fragmented society by delivering personalized messages to individuals, creating a lack of shared experience and understanding.
• 💥 Wylie believes Cambridge Analytica played a part in breaking society to remold it, which was Steve Bannon's goal in his cultural warfare.

Q & A

Who is the speaker in this transcript?

The speaker is Christopher Wylie, a data scientist who helped set up Cambridge Analytica.

Why does Christopher Wylie feel responsible for what happened at Cambridge Analytica?

Wylie feels responsible because he played a key role in setting up the company and its unethical practices, which he now regrets.

What unethical experiment does Wylie describe Cambridge Analytica being involved in?

Wylie describes it as a 'grossly unethical experiment' involving manipulating the psychology of an entire country during the democratic process without the public's consent or awareness.

How did Cambridge Analytica manipulate people through data?

Cambridge Analytica harvested millions of Facebook profiles and used psychological profiling to target individuals with personalized content designed to influence their perceptions and behavior.

What was Steve Bannon’s role in Cambridge Analytica, according to Wylie?

Steve Bannon, who was involved with Breitbart, pushed for using Cambridge Analytica’s tools as cultural weapons to influence politics. He followed the 'Breitbart doctrine' that culture must be changed to influence politics.

How did Cambridge Analytica gather data from Facebook users?

Cambridge Analytica used apps with special permissions to collect data not only from the users of the app but also from their entire social network, expanding their reach to tens of millions of profiles.

Did Cambridge Analytica have access to private Facebook messages?

Wylie suggests that the app had the capability to access private messages, but he does not confirm whether Cambridge Analytica actually used them.

How did Cambridge Analytica create personalized content to influence individuals?

They employed a team of creatives to design tailored content based on psychological profiles. This content was then strategically placed online to reach specific target audiences, guiding them to think or behave in certain ways.

What does Wylie say about the risks of this type of micro-targeting on society?

Wylie warns that micro-targeting fragments society by creating personalized realities for each individual, reducing shared experiences and understandings, which are essential for a functioning society.

Does Wylie believe Cambridge Analytica played a role in Trump’s election or the rise of the alt-right?

Wylie believes Cambridge Analytica likely played a part in these events, though he cannot say definitively whether it was the defining factor.