DUMONDE
Part of: Digital Nationalism and the Fragmentation of European Identity
Essay 5 / 7Working Paper18 min

Cambridge Analytica: Anatomy of a Manipulation

|Updated February 4, 2026|Introductory
"We are the wizards behind the curtain," said Alexander Nix, CEO of Cambridge Analytica, in a hidden camera recording. "Nobody knows we exist." What he revealed next would change our understanding of political campaigns in the digital age.
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Abstract

The Cambridge Analytica story is one of how personal data from 87 million Facebook users was used to micro-target political propaganda. This essay examines the mechanisms, the real impact, and the lessons for digital democracy.

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Discussion

Methodology

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Implications

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Extensions

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