Years of Complaints Against Cambridge Analytica Reveal How It Influenced Voters

Cambridge Analytica and SCL were the subject of a number of previously unpublished harassment complaints filed in response to the numerous political survey and messaging calls made on behalf of US campaigns between 2013 and 2017. A significant portion of the complaints filed reference calls received in early-to-mid 2014, the same time period during which Cambridge Analytica provided “campaign strategy and messaging advice” to Republican campaigns in Colorado, Oregon, North Carolina, New Hampshire, and Arkansas. The complaints describe the companies’ data-gathering methods in great detail, which reportedly ranged from loaded political (and personal) surveys, paid focus groups, and sentiment analysis questionnaires. While there were a considerable number of complaints filed with the Federal Communications Commission over SCL’s predatory conduct, most US citizens voiced their concerns online on popular self-reporting sites, such as 800Notes. Most took issue with the frequency and timing of Cambridge Analytica’s calls — which came at all hours, multiple times a day — and the invasive, often personal, questions the company posed. The firm’s constant harassment and shady tactics left most users suspicious of Cambridge Analytica’s intentions. “What is their political agenda? Who is their client?” one Oregon resident asked after receiving multiple calls inviting them to join a focus group on “race, nsa, abortion, gays.”