The Electoral Art of Stealing Memories--Cambridge Mathmatica and the Dark Side of Facebook - Spring 2018

The Electoral Art of Stealing Memories--Cambridge Mathmatica and the Dark Side of Facebook - Spring 2018
In 2018, a major scandal came to light that rocked the world. It was the fact that the British political consulting firm Cambridge Mathmatica had illegally obtained the personal information of up to 87 million people on Facebook and used it to manipulate elections. This incident was engraved in people's memories as a symbol of the era of social networking influencing elections and manipulating emotions.

It all started with an app disguised as a psychological test. Using Facebook's specifications, which allow users to access not only their own information but also that of their friends, detailed personal data on millions of people was gathered when they used the app. Names, hobbies, ideological leanings, friendships--all of this information fell into the hands of unauthorized companies and was used as material for campaign advertisements.

Cambridge Mathmatica used this data to develop "micro-targeted advertising. The ads were spread across social networking sites to target voters' anxiety and anger, and to stir up emotions about immigration, public safety, and threats to the nation. This approach is said to have been effective in the Trump campaign.

Facebook was initially aware of the problem, but delayed public disclosure, resulting in a loss of public trust, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg was called before the U.S. Congress and held accountable for the situation. Corporate ethics and transparency became a global focus, and criticism of the social networking structure itself increased.

Meanwhile, Cambridge Mathmatica was forced into bankruptcy that same year after whistleblower Christopher Wiley's testimony revealed its dark side. Information is no longer a tool of neutrality, but a weapon of deliberate manipulation. We are living in an era in which we must face the cost of the "clicks" we unwittingly offer.