Cambridge Analytica's psychographic profiling used to target voters

The data analytics firm's approach represented a new way to use personality data to influence elections.

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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The dealings between Cambridge Analytica and Facebook have revealed how the data analytics firm used psychographic profiling to target voters during the 2016 US presidential election. By obtaining data on over 50 million Facebook users and developing personality profiles, Cambridge Analytica was able to create tailored political ads for different voter segments based on their psychological traits.

Why it matters

Cambridge Analytica's use of psychographic profiling marked a significant shift in how data analytics can be leveraged to influence political campaigns. Unlike traditional demographic targeting, this approach allowed the firm to reach voters on a more personal level by tailoring messages to their individual personalities and behaviors.

The details

Cambridge Analytica was contracted by the Trump campaign and used psychographic segmentation in addition to demographic data. The firm obtained data from 270,000 personality tests completed by Facebook users through an app created by University of Cambridge researcher Aleksandr Kogan. This data, combined with additional information gleaned from Facebook activity, allowed Cambridge Analytica to build personality profiles for over 100 million registered US voters. The company then used these profiles to create dozens of customized political ads on issues like immigration, the economy, and gun rights, tailored to different personality types.

  • In 2012, Facebook patented a process to map user content and likes against the 'Big Five' model of psychological traits.
  • In 2015, a study found that Facebook data could predict personality traits with the same accuracy as a spouse with just 300 likes.

The players

Cambridge Analytica

A data analytics firm that was contracted by the Trump campaign in the 2016 US presidential election and used psychographic profiling to target voters.

Aleksandr Kogan

A University of Cambridge researcher who sold access to 270,000 personality tests completed by Facebook users through an app he had created.

Hillary Clinton

The Democratic presidential candidate in the 2016 US election, whose campaign used state-of-the-art segmentation techniques to target voters.

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The takeaway

Cambridge Analytica's use of psychographic profiling to target voters represents a significant shift in how data analytics can be leveraged to influence political campaigns. This approach allows for more personalized messaging and the ability to reach voters on a deeper level than traditional demographic targeting.