Documentary
United States of America
The Great Hack is a documentary film released in 2019 that exposes how data is weaponized by various organizations and companies in order to manipulate public opinion and political outcomes. The film specifically focuses on the infamous Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which the British consulting firm was found to have harvested millions of Facebook users' personal data without their consent in an attempt to influence the 2016 US presidential election.
Directed by Karim Amer and Jehane Noujaim, the film follows several protagonists who find themselves embroiled in the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Brittany Kaiser, a former employee of Cambridge Analytica-turned-whistleblower, sheds light on the company's secretive operations and how it used personal data to create detailed profiles of voters for targeted political advertising. David Carroll, a professor who sued Cambridge Analytica for the release of his own personal data, fights to uncover the truth about the company's activities. Christopher Wylie, the former director of research at Cambridge Analytica, speaks out about the company's misdeeds and his role in them.
The Great Hack also examines Facebook's role in the scandal, exposing how the social media giant allowed Cambridge Analytica to gain access to users' data without proper consent and how the company has failed to adequately protect users' privacy. The film raises important questions about the power of data in shaping our lives and the need for greater regulation to prevent abuse.
Overall, The Great Hack is a chilling look at how the world of data exploitation operates and the ways in which it is being used to influence political outcomes and sow division.
