Mindf*ck: Cambridge Analytica and the Plot to Break America

by Christopher Wylie

But this is not merely about privacy or consent. This is about who gets to influence our truths and the truths of those around us. This is about the architectures of manipulation we are constructing around our society. And herein lies the lesson of Cambridge Analytica. To understand the harms of social media, we have to first understand what it is. Facebook may call itself a “community” to its users, or a “platform” to regulators, but it is not a service, in the same way a building is not a service. Even if you don’t understand exactly how cyberspace works, it is important to understand that it now surrounds you. Every connected device and computer is part of an interconnected information architecture—and shapes your experience of the world. The most common job titles in most Silicon Valley companies are engineer and architect, not service manager or client relations. But unlike engineering in other sectors, tech companies do not have to perform safety tests to conform to any building codes before releasing their products. Instead, platforms are allowed to adopt dark pattern designs that deliberately mislead users into continual use and giving up more data. Tech engineers intentionally design confounding mazes on their platforms that keep people moving deeper and deeper into these architectures, without any clear exit. And when people keep clicking their way through their maze, these architects delight in the increase in “engagement.” Social media and Internet platforms ar...