<p>The 'data points' were collected by <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/07/the-great-hack-facebook-cambridge-analytica/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Cambridge Analytica</a> through an app developed by <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-46822439" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Dr Aleksandr Kogan</a>. The app was a personality quiz called <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/935252/cambridge-analytica-academic-aleksandr-kogan-scapegoat-privacy-app-quizzes" rel="nofollow noreferrer">This is Your Digital Life</a> and was run on Facebook. It collected all kinds of data, including 'likes', birthdays and locations. So it was those kind of data points where Cambridge Analytica was bragging about. It claimed that it had up to <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/07/the-great-hack-facebook-cambridge-analytica/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">5000 data points on every US voter</a>. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-07-27T12:57:52.650Z
Hi, thanks but I need basic examples what a datapoint is.
Antonow297296
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-07-27T15:38:32.500Z
A data point is a number. As I say in the answer, a birthday, number of likes etc.
AliceD
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-07-26T10:06:50.183Z
2019-07-26T10:06:50.183Z
AliceD
<p>I just saw the documentary <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9358204/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">"The Great Hack" (2019)</a> about Cambridge Analytica. In it, they were talking about “data points” to profile people to better target them and persuade them into voting a certain way. I think they needed around 5000-6000 data points to achieve the claimed outcome.</p>

<p>Could anyone give an example of what a “data point” is in this case?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-23T13:18:19.520Z
I presume you are talking about "The Great Hack", and updated your question accordingly. Feel free to roll back in case I am mistaken, or even better, include the actual documentary you saw.
Steven Jeuris
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-07-25T17:45:59.697Z
Welcome to Psychology.SE. Can you cite the documentary you are talking about?
Chris Rogers
<social-psychology><perception><personality>
In "The Great Hack", what are the data points used in psychological profiling?
Antonow297296
# In "The Great Hack", what are the data points used in psychological profiling?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-07-25)

I just saw the documentary ["The Great Hack" (2019)](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9358204/) about Cambridge Analytica. In it, they were talking about “data points” to profile people to better target them and persuade them into voting a certain way. I think they needed around 5000-6000 data points to achieve the claimed outcome.

Could anyone give an example of what a “data point” is in this case?

**Tags:** social-psychology, perception, personality

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Welcome to Psychology.SE. Can you cite the documentary you are talking about?  
> **username_1**: I presume you are talking about "The Great Hack", and updated your question accordingly. Feel free to roll back in case I am mistaken, or even better, include the actual documentary you saw.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2019-07-26. Score: 1

The 'data points' were collected by [Cambridge Analytica](https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/07/the-great-hack-facebook-cambridge-analytica/) through an app developed by [Dr Aleksandr Kogan](https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-46822439). The app was a personality quiz called [This is Your Digital Life](https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/935252/cambridge-analytica-academic-aleksandr-kogan-scapegoat-privacy-app-quizzes) and was run on Facebook. It collected all kinds of data, including 'likes', birthdays and locations. So it was those kind of data points where Cambridge Analytica was bragging about. It claimed that it had up to [5000 data points on every US voter](https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/07/the-great-hack-facebook-cambridge-analytica/).

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Hi, thanks but I need basic examples what a datapoint is.  
> **username_3**: A data point is a number. As I say in the answer, a birthday, number of likes etc.  

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