Microtargeting Voters in the 2016 U.S. Election
Was Cambridge Analytica Really Different?
This article appeared in the Winter 2024/25 issue of The Independent Review.
In the wake of the 2016 election, enraged critics charged that Cambridge Analytica, a data analytics firm that worked with the Trump campaign, used “microtargeting” to manipulate the election’s outcome. However, a thorough analysis shows that Cambridge Analytica’s tactics were fundamentally similar to tactics used by firms working for other presidential campaigns and not as effective at modeling the electorate as many claims suggest. As a result, allegations that Cambridge Analytica singlehandedly weakened democracy are highly doubtful.
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