Introduction
The use of personal data in U.S. presidential elections has become a powerful tool, capable of influencing public opinion, shaping political narratives, and ultimately impacting voter decisions. This evolution in political campaigning, driven by data insights, became widely known in 2018 when the Cambridge Analytica scandal revealed how deeply data had infiltrated the electoral process. Since then, the methods and technologies have only grown more sophisticated, with personal identifiable information (PII) of voters being collected and used—often without full consent.
From Cambridge Analytica’s controversial data harvesting to the pervasive use of personal data in the 2024 election, here’s an overview of how data strategies have reshaped the political landscape and raised new questions about privacy, ethics, and the future of democracy.
1. Cambridge Analytica: The Scandal That Changed Everything
The 2018 revelation of Cambridge Analytica’s activities marked a turning point in how data was used in political campaigns. The firm accessed the Facebook profiles of around 87 million users without their knowledge, using the data to create highly targeted voter profiles. These profiles allowed Cambridge Analytica to deliver customized political ads and messages, tailored to influence individual voters’ views based on their personality traits, demographics, and interests.
Key Takeaways from Cambridge Analytica:
- Lack of Transparency and Consent: Facebook users were not informed that their data was being harvested and sold to a political consulting firm.
- Psychographic Profiling: Cambridge Analytica used data to segment voters into psychological types, delivering different messaging to sway each group’s opinions or voting behavior.
- Data’s Power in Persuasion: The scandal demonstrated the powerful influence that data-driven microtargeting could have, not just on purchasing decisions, but on democratic processes.
The Cambridge Analytica scandal sparked global outcry and regulatory backlash. Lawmakers, privacy advocates, and the public demanded more transparency in how data was used in political campaigns, paving the way for discussions around data privacy and the ethical use of PII in elections.
2. The Rise of Microtargeting in Political Campaigns
The Cambridge Analytica case highlighted a growing trend in political campaigns: microtargeting, or the use of data to deliver personalized political messages to specific voter segments. This technique continued to evolve post-2018, with campaigns collecting vast amounts of data from sources like social media, voter registration databases, and consumer behavior insights.
Microtargeting in Practice:
- Social Media Targeting: Campaigns use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to deliver targeted ads based on a user’s browsing history, interactions, and demographic data.
- Geolocation Data: By collecting data on voters’ physical locations, campaigns can tailor messages based on local issues or events, often without explicit user consent.
- Predictive Analytics: Data analytics companies use machine learning to predict voter behavior, allowing campaigns to focus on “swing voters” likely to change allegiance.
While microtargeting can enhance voter engagement by addressing relevant issues, it also raises concerns about privacy and the lack of transparency around how personal data is collected and used.
3. The 2020 Elections: Data Collection Goes Mainstream
By the 2020 election, data-driven campaigns had become the norm. With digital platforms, predictive algorithms, and advanced targeting techniques, campaigns gathered a wealth of data on voters. Despite increased public awareness, voters often didn’t know how much personal information was being collected or how it was being used.
Notable Trends in 2020:
- Enhanced Voter Profiles: Campaigns combined publicly available voter records with private sector data, including shopping habits, income levels, and even religious preferences, to create complex voter profiles.
- Digital Footprint Expansion: Data from mobile apps, cookies on websites, and browsing habits provided campaigns with insights into voters’ lifestyles and opinions, often without clear consent.
- Emotionally-Driven Content: With social media companies permitting targeted emotional content, campaigns tailored messages to voter fears, hopes, or frustrations, exploiting psychological insights gained from data.
The 2020 election highlighted both the effectiveness and ethical gray areas of data-driven political campaigns. As campaigns gathered more data, it became increasingly challenging for voters to know how their data was being used, which led to heightened calls for transparency and regulatory oversight.
4. 2024: Data Privacy Laws and Ongoing Challenges
By 2024, several states have implemented data privacy laws similar to Europe’s GDPR, aiming to protect consumers from the unauthorized use of their personal data. The California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) and Virginia’s Consumer Data Protection Act (CDPA), for example, give individuals the right to know, access, and delete personal data held by businesses. However, these laws have limited application in the political sphere, where data collection is often exempt or inadequately regulated.
Privacy Law Impacts in 2024:
- Transparency Requirements: CPRA requires that consumers are informed about what data is collected and shared, but this applies to businesses rather than political campaigns directly.
- Opt-Out Rights: Some states grant individuals the right to opt out of data sharing, though this doesn’t fully prevent campaigns from accessing publicly available voter information.
- Data Brokers and Aggregators: Political campaigns increasingly rely on data brokers, who collect and sell personal data without direct interaction with voters, creating further privacy risks.
Even with new privacy laws, many voters remain unaware of how extensively their data is used in campaigns. The lack of direct regulation for political data use means campaigns often operate in a privacy gray zone, gathering extensive PII without full voter awareness or consent.
5. Ethical and Regulatory Questions for the Future
As the use of personal data in elections grows, so do the ethical questions surrounding it. Voter data allows campaigns to connect with citizens, but it also raises concerns about informed consent, manipulation, and democracy’s integrity. The regulatory landscape has struggled to keep pace with rapid technological advancements, and the 2024 election cycle highlights this gap.
Key Ethical Questions Moving Forward:
- Informed Consent: Should voters have more explicit control over how their data is used in political contexts? Many privacy advocates argue for voter consent mechanisms specific to political data collection.
- Transparency in Targeting: Should political campaigns disclose when and why they are targeting specific voter segments with tailored messages?
- Impact on Democracy: Does data-driven targeting enhance democratic engagement, or does it risk manipulating voters by playing on their biases and psychological traits?
For now, data privacy laws remain limited in their applicability to political campaigns, which leaves a regulatory gap. Many advocates are pushing for stricter guidelines and transparency requirements that would provide voters with more control over their data and more insight into campaign practices.
Conclusion: A Call for Transparency and Data Privacy in Elections
From Cambridge Analytica to the 2024 election, the use of personal data in U.S. political campaigns has rapidly evolved, leveraging vast amounts of PII to engage, persuade, and even manipulate voters. This trend shows no signs of slowing, as campaigns continue to refine their data strategies and push the boundaries of what’s possible.
While new data privacy laws are emerging, they are largely limited to consumer data and fall short of regulating political campaigns. For a truly transparent democratic process, regulators must address the use of PII in elections directly, ensuring that voters are informed, protected, and given a choice in how their data is used.
Until then, the onus remains on political campaigns, data brokers, and social media platforms to adopt responsible data practices that respect voter privacy and support democratic values. The journey from Cambridge Analytica to 2024 serves as a reminder of both the power and responsibility that come with personal data in politics—a challenge that will only grow as data-driven campaigning continues to evolve.
