Guardian Exposes Cambridge Analytica's Unauthorized Facebook Data Use for Ted Cruz Campaign

The Guardian’s Harry Davies published the first exposé revealing Cambridge Analytica’s use of harvested Facebook data for US Senator Ted Cruz’s presidential campaign without user consent. Millions of Americans’ personal information were collected and weaponized for political targeting through a personality testing app, demonstrating a systematic approach to electoral manipulation that would become more prominent in subsequent elections. The Cruz campaign was the first to employ Cambridge Analytica’s microtargeting strategies, initially dividing voters into six psychological profiles before ultimately scaling back these techniques.