(BBC News)Breitbart: The web that connects Trump and Farage

 

(Wikipedia)Cambridge Analytica

 

Robert Mercer) is a hedge fund billionaire (a real one, not like Trump) who initially supported Ted Cruz and later moved to supporting Trump in the 2016 election. His family heavily funds Cambridge Analytica, which uses data mined from Facebook and mobile apps such as "Cruz Crew" (really?!) to build up personality profiles and databases on individual voters.

 

It then uses this information, along with surveys performed on voters over time, to "study and manipulate public opinion".

 

Check out their boasts:

As of December 2015 CA prided itself to have collected up to 5,000 data points on over 220 million Americans. At that time Robert Mercer was a major supporter of Ted Cruz. The Mercer family funded CA directly and indirectly through several super-PACs as well as through payments via Cruz's campaign.

 

But how about this:

Regarding CA's use of Facebook users, a speaker for CA indicated that these users gave permission when signing up with the provider, while Facebook declared that "misleading people or misusing information" is in violation of Facebook's policies. Facebook indicated that is investigating the matter.

 

It's also been reported (according to the BBC) that this company is responsible for the continued funding of Breitbart, which prior to 2014, wasn't quite profitable.. Since then, well - you can see for yourself how far Breitbart has come.

 

Incidentally, Robert Mercer's daughter, Rebekah, is a part of Trump's transition team.

 

So we have a hedge fund billionaire, funding a Facebook data mining company, which also funds far-right propaganda news, the executive chairman of which is now lined up for a job at the White House along with the billionaire's daughter.

 

P.S: They also played a role in persuading Brexit voters to vote Leave