Case Study: Cambridge Analytica and Personality-Based Manipulation

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Intent detection: By mapping sequential behavior (e.g., visiting a travel site, searching hotels, checking weather), systems can predict intent — in this case, planning a trip.

Big Tech leverages these insights to tailor experiences in real time. For instance, if your behavior suggests fatigue, you may be shown comforting content, less demanding ads, or prompts to rest. If you’re energized and goal-focused, you may get fitness recommendations or productivity tools.

In short, your phone doesn’t just track your behavior — it guides what you see next, based on a psychological model of who you are and what you’re likely to want.

No discussion of data-driven psychological profiling would be complete without Cambridge Analytica.

In 2016, the political consulting firm exploited Facebook data — much of it vietnam phone number list harvested without explicit consent — to build psychographic profiles of millions of Americans. These profiles segmented voters based on personality types, allowing for tailored political messages that appealed to individual fears, values, and biases.

Someone high in neuroticism, for instance, might be shown ads emphasizing danger or threat, while someone high in openness would receive messages stressing freedom and change. This wasn’t just ad targeting — it was psychological warfare.

The scandal revealed two things:

Psychological profiles built from digital footprints are real and potent.

They can be used to manipulate not just consumer behavior, but democratic outcomes.

It marked the first time many realized how deeply their phones — and by extension, data collectors — understood them.