
AggregateIQ Created Cambridge Analytica's Election Software - johnny313
https://gizmodo.com/aggregateiq-created-cambridge-analyticas-election-softw-1824026565
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steve_adams_86
I hate to admit it, but I sat in a room with these guys and heard them discuss
the Ted Cruz stuff a while back. They spoke incredibly candidly about their
intentions and fully acknowledged this was morally questionable. They even
offered me work - their cut of the ad spend was huge and there'd be plenty of
work for a dev. I think this was before Aggregate IQ was officially a thing...
Possibly before they had dedicated developers.

I politely declined. They laughed; it was funny to them to have a conscience
about this stuff. I said I'm too burnt out from adtech. I'm glad I was,
because earlier in my career I might have been more eager to take on
responsibility and make more money.

When this stuff first surfaced, I knew Aggregate was going to come to light. I
know a lot of people who've contributed to their ad buying and I know they
have no boundaries. We need regulation for these kinds of people.

They were making incredible sums of money for doing this work.

~~~
wturner
It may be counterintuitive, but the most responsible thing people like you can
do in those situations is to accept, play along for a year or two and then
speak out publicly the way Christopher Wylie has. It's a one step back 5 steps
foward approach to facillitating social innoculation against this kind of
behavior.

~~~
steve_adams_86
You've got a point. I've intentionally distanced myself from these people (At
one point they were my clients), but now the distance has only made it so I
can't easily expose what they get up to. It might necessary for own sanity
though; working with these types of people became a substantial burden for me.
No one cares about anything but they payout. It got old fast.

~~~
tgragnato
> AggregateIQ works in full compliance within all legal and regulatory
> requirements in all jurisdictions where it operates. It has never knowingly
> been involved in any illegal activity. All work AggregateIQ does for each
> client is kept separate from every other client.

Their main page actually reads kind of laughable, hence you probably have a
point too. Let the creepy people make their shady affairs, not everyone has to
be a hero.

