Political campaigns are increasingly using micro-targeting of messages to individual (or heavily segmented) voters to persuade them to vote for their candidates - or not to turn out for opponents.
According to Wikipedia: "The company claimed to use ''data enhancement and audience segmentation techniques'' providing ''psychographic analysis'' for a ''deeper knowledge of the target audience. The company uses the Big Five model of personality. Using what it calls ''behavioral microtargeting'' the company indicated that it can predict ''needs'' of subjects and how these needs may change over time. Services then can be individually targeted for the benefit of its clients from the political arena, governments, and companies providing ''a better and more actionable view of their key audiences.'' According to Sasha Issenberg [a journalist with extensive experience of political campaigning techniques], CA indicates that it can tell things about an individual he might not even know about himself."
Political scientists and campaigners have been highly sceptical about the actual effective impact of CA''s online data tools in campaigns.