Trump’s data-hungry, invasive app(technologyreview.com)
technologyreview.com
Trump’s data-hungry, invasive app
https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/06/21/1004228/trumps-data-hungry-invasive-app-is-a-voter-surveillance-tool-of-extraordinary-scope/
32 comments
These tactics might allow coordination in ways which are not allowed under federal campaign finance regulations. Definitely an area that deserves intense scrutiny.
But BLM through ActBlue (DNC) aren't skirting those same regulations?
Are you saying that BLM are coordinating with canidates for elected office without disclosing the contribution?
They wouldn't need to. Read ActBlue's own fine print: https://secure.actblue.com/content/fineprint
> In the event that a campaign or committee (a) fails for 60 days to cash a check from ActBlue which includes your contribution (after ActBlue makes repeated attempts to work with the campaign to ensure all checks are cashed), or (b) affirmatively refuses a contribution earmarked through ActBlue, your contribution will be re-designated as a contribution to ActBlue. Contributions to social welfare organizations which are similarly not cashed or affirmatively refused will be kept by ActBlue and used generally to support its social welfare activities. Contributions to charitable organizations which are not cashed or affirmatively refused will go to ActBlue Charities.
> In the event that a campaign or committee (a) fails for 60 days to cash a check from ActBlue which includes your contribution (after ActBlue makes repeated attempts to work with the campaign to ensure all checks are cashed), or (b) affirmatively refuses a contribution earmarked through ActBlue, your contribution will be re-designated as a contribution to ActBlue. Contributions to social welfare organizations which are similarly not cashed or affirmatively refused will be kept by ActBlue and used generally to support its social welfare activities. Contributions to charitable organizations which are not cashed or affirmatively refused will go to ActBlue Charities.
Except neither ActBlue nor BLM are political candidates. The rules for PACs contributing to other PACs are much more lax. The problem arises when a PAC and a Candidate coordinate strategy and spending without disclosing it as a contribution (and being subject to contribution limits).
There is nothing unethical in what you posted.
There is nothing unethical in what you posted.
Nice whataboutism.
Are they essentially doing contact tracing/tracking with the bluetooth functionality?
They're exploiting beacons for free location info.
"The use of Bluetooth is especially notable because it can capture data and target people with political messages as they travel through a physical space. This practice has jumped to politics from the advertising industry. In one recent example, Bluetooth beacons (the radio transmitters used to track cell-phone users via Bluetooth signals) were found in campaign yard signs [https://mashable.com/article/beacons-location-tracking-repub...]. In another, people were surveilled using these practices when they went to church. Our team has been exploring how this phenomenon—which we term geo-propaganda—has increased."
"The use of Bluetooth is especially notable because it can capture data and target people with political messages as they travel through a physical space. This practice has jumped to politics from the advertising industry. In one recent example, Bluetooth beacons (the radio transmitters used to track cell-phone users via Bluetooth signals) were found in campaign yard signs [https://mashable.com/article/beacons-location-tracking-repub...]. In another, people were surveilled using these practices when they went to church. Our team has been exploring how this phenomenon—which we term geo-propaganda—has increased."
The fixed points doesn't surprise me. However, I would suspect that they're using it to identify other devices nearby that aren't apart of the volunteered group.
The naive assumption about this is that it will be used to rally supporters with suspicious or specious “information”, but it makes me wonder about the opposite. With enough user data and backend analysis, you could probably also use it as a platform to depress or discourage the activity or engagement of users determined not to support Trump. Like providing incorrect info about local voting times, regulations, etc.
This isn't novel, and may even be less invasive than tactics used in 2016 by the Trump campaign and in 2012 by the Obama campaign.
Both of those campaigns siphoned data from Facebook without consent of any of the users. Trump famously used Cambridge Analytica, while Obama for America's Director of Data Integration and Media Analytics built up a huge database of every American voter using data siphoned from the API used by Cambridge Analytica. [1]
At least now they're explicitly asking for permission (and you actually have to download an uber-partisan app in the first place).
[1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/facebooks-ru...
Both of those campaigns siphoned data from Facebook without consent of any of the users. Trump famously used Cambridge Analytica, while Obama for America's Director of Data Integration and Media Analytics built up a huge database of every American voter using data siphoned from the API used by Cambridge Analytica. [1]
At least now they're explicitly asking for permission (and you actually have to download an uber-partisan app in the first place).
[1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/facebooks-ru...
Real-time location data, depending on the context, can be much more dangerous than Facebook data.
Specifically, it can be dangerous to your immediate health.
Specifically, it can be dangerous to your immediate health.
Yes, the title needs to reflect that it's the Trump campaign's app.
The real title of the article is “Trump’s data-hungry, invasive app is a voter surveillance tool of extraordinary power”.
The full article title doesn't fit HN's 80-char limit, so needs to be shortened. The submitted title was "Data-hungry, invasive app is a voter surveillance tool of extraordinary power", which would normally be fine, but popping Trump off the head of the list was probably too much of a change, so made the title above be a prefix of the original, instead of a suffix.
The subtitle is “Both presidential campaigns use apps to capture data—but Trump's scoops up your identity, your location, and even your phone's Bluetooth functions.”
As bad as the app is, as long as it is not illegal and the users knowingly install it, I don’t see a problem with it . The Biden campaign is also free to develop such an app and target their supporters. The key to winning any election is getting your voter base excited to vote. If they targeted messaging keeps your voter base on their toes and makes them rush to the polls in November, what is the harm.
An issue is that if you target your messages you take the messages out of a general debate and leave them uncontested. The individual receiver however can't verify the message easily.
As bad as it sounds, but in the age of 128 character twitter messages , the voters do not care about debating ideas. Most of them have already formed their opinions on whom to vote for ? The only thing left to do for both campaigns is to drive the people out to vote.
That is where these apps become useful. Most of the messages pushed by these apps are not positive messages about the candidate - instead they are negative messages about the opposition .
The key is to always keep your voters eager to vote. In fact, I would argue that democrats need this kind of an app much more than Republicans as their voters are much more fickle.
That is where these apps become useful. Most of the messages pushed by these apps are not positive messages about the candidate - instead they are negative messages about the opposition .
The key is to always keep your voters eager to vote. In fact, I would argue that democrats need this kind of an app much more than Republicans as their voters are much more fickle.
This is one of many reasons why I think targeted advertising should be regulated or outright outlawed.
Even outside politics, it allows a malicious actor to target their ads to vulnerable targets (whether it’s kids for scammy “games” full of in-app purchases, dubious “medication” for sick & desperate people, or malware to non-tech-savvy people) while flying under the radar of those who would be able to fact-check and call out the scam.
Even outside politics, it allows a malicious actor to target their ads to vulnerable targets (whether it’s kids for scammy “games” full of in-app purchases, dubious “medication” for sick & desperate people, or malware to non-tech-savvy people) while flying under the radar of those who would be able to fact-check and call out the scam.
Yes, targeted advertisement is already massively abused.
Furthermore we already know different "better" advertisement models.
Furthermore we already know different "better" advertisement models.
I'd actually pay to see a Trump/Biden debate. I doubt the DNC will allow it though, for fear of Biden forgetting where he is or what office he's running for, while on stage. Before you downvote, consider that this has already happened, several times.
> that this has already happened, several times.
I'm not following US politics close enough to know anything about it. But why should the democrats try to push an person into power which might have memory problems caused by age??
I'm not following US politics close enough to know anything about it. But why should the democrats try to push an person into power which might have memory problems caused by age??
Why is GOP pushing a candidate who can't walk down a ramp or drink out of a glass with a single hand.
Or: short video snippets with little context tell little about anything
Or: short video snippets with little context tell little about anything
Trump drank a glass with a single hand specifically for you at a rally (which Biden is incapable of even drawing a crowd for, without busing people in), and said, I quote: "General, there's no way I'm going down down this ramp without falling on my ass. I have no railing." Anyone who has ever worn leather-soled dress shoes would immediately recognize who he was walking like this.
>already happened
Links, please? DDG turns up only these among credible sources:
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/03/07/2020-demen...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/
Links, please? DDG turns up only these among credible sources:
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/03/07/2020-demen...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/
Really? You need help finding instances where Biden can't put together a sentence or forgets where he is? I'm not sure I believe this.
https://www.google.com/search?q=biden+forgets
https://www.google.com/search?q=biden+forgets
I’d be much more interested to read about how cellphone location tracking is used to geotarget campaign ads to unwilling recipients who have not opted in to receive messages from the campaign, or have their location data shared.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-political-groups-are-harves...