Over the past few days there have been credible reports (see this Guardian piece) that both Google and Facebook are seriously considering a ban on micro-targeted political ads. Tech giants have a lot of thoughts they don’t follow through, and it’s rare to see them acting in concert, but if this happened it would be good news for everyone because those ads are total garbage. Such a ban would have a considerable impact on American PACs but won’t make much difference to UK campaigns. Here’s why.
Signify featured in ITV Documentary: Brexit Online Uncovered
Our Chief Strategy Officer Jon is the lead forensic expert in this excellent documentary about the death threats levelled against MPs during the Brexit debate, how those death threats have been incited and triggered by various activist networks, and the impact on democracy. Be warned - it is a depressing watch with foul language from the start. But for us, a proud moment to see Jon talking about a tiny fragment from the monumental tapestry of hatred and fake news that he and his team have been piecing together for the better part of a year.
Mid terms pt II: we called it
It was a great night for Democrats in general, but especially in Arizona where Martha McSally’s hardline pro-Trump, anti-immigration campaign foundered and she also lost the seat in Congress she had vacated to make a Senate run, further increasing the Democrat majority in the House of Representatives which they now control for the first time since 2011.
Signify featured in The Guardian's mid term coverage
From the US Guardian’s live coverage of the mid-terms; “This is a fear election. Fear around immigration and security versus fear about health care coverage, according to analysis by Signify, an ethical data science company. And of the two, health care seems to be the winning issue despite Donald Trump’s dire warnings of a caravan heading towards the US-Mexico border.”
Mid-terms pt I: Will healthcare deliver a blue wave?
Trump’s divisive rhetoric and a comparatively disciplined issues-driven campaign from the Democrats have presented voters with a stark choice in tomorrow’s mid-terms: turn out to vote because you fear a tidal wave of immigration and criminality, or go to the polls because you fear losing your access to affordable health care. Analysis conducted by Signify indicates that healthcare is more important to voters than any other issue and may swing results all over the country.