The Political Elite and the Scandal with ,,Cambridge Analytica” and ,,Facebook”

Miroslav  Terziyski

Miroslav Terziyski South-West University ,,Neofit Rilski”

Keywords: political elite, digital technologies, Cambridge Analytica, Facebook, Brexit, US 2016 Elections

Abstract

The political elite understands the huge role of social networks - realizing both the positive and the negative influences they can have on non-elite. Manipulation of elections through them is a hot topic around the world. Because of this the politicians across the globe are not indifferent to what is happening in the network and how this affects their political life.

This article examines the expanding scandal from the end of March 2018, related to the companies ,,Cambridge Analytica” and ,,Facebook”. During an investigation for intervention in the vote of the people, related with the United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, 2016, the participation of the consultancy company ,,Cambridge Analytica” for the benefit of the pro-Brexit campaign was revealed. Cambridge Analytica used Facebook to gather personal information of millions of users (up to 87) on the social network. In addition, Cambridge Analytica is related to Donald Trump's presidential campaign in 2016. Due to these facts, the article presents opinions on the issue expressed by representatives of the political elite in the United States, the United Kingdom and various EU Member States.

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