Meet Brittany Kaiser — Cambridge Analytica Whistleblower Featured In Netflix Doc 'The Great Hack'
She's in the headlines again.
Instagram Brittany Kaiser's name is in the headlines again, but this time it isn't for blowing the whistle. This time, she's featured in a documentary about her time at Cambridge Analytica. The doc, called The Great Hack, made its premiere at Sundance and is now available to stream on Netflix. Brittany is the movie's central figure, sharing what she knows with the filmmakers.
Now that the movie is out and the truth is known about Cambridge Analytica and what they've done that's been oh you know, very much less than ethical, Brittany is focused on making money moves. Here's what we know about where Brittany Kaiser is now, what she's doing, and how her time with Cambridge Analytica could have changed her personal politics. Who is Brittany Kaiser?
1. Meet Brittany
In 2018, Brittany Kaiser left the infamous Cambridge Analytica and developed a reputation as a "whistleblower," though this isn't actually correct. What is correct is that Kaiser spoke with the newspaper The Guardian about her time at the firm and its various controversial and invasive practices. Later in 2018, she was subpoenaed by Robert Mueller and asked to testify during about Russian involvement in the 2016 Presidential election during Mueller's investigation. Netflix recently released a documentary about Cambridge Analytica and Kaiser was a major part of putting the film together. Assange, Trump, Brexit, Obama — for a woman who is still in her early 30s, these are the names and terms in her orbit to give you a sense of her connections.
2. Cambridge Analytica
As a young woman, Brittany worked on President Obama's campaign and quickly developed a reputation for the smart and savvy ways she promoted her cause and gained influence in the online arena. That's exactly what drew Cambridge Analytica's former CEO, Alexander Nix, to her and why he hired her in the first place. In the Netflix doc, Kaiser said that she only took the job because the various campaigns she was working on weren't covering her bills. Add to that the fact that her family actually wound up losing their home and you get a sense of just how dire things were for Kaiser when she made the decision to work for Cambridge Analytica.
3. She's Not In Thailand
For a lot of people, the first question they have to ask about Kaiser is this: Is Brittany still living in secret off the grid in Thailand? That's because in the Netflix doc there are several scenes that show Brittany there, but the reason for the location never seems to be explained. Karin Amer, one of the creators behind the film that has everyone talking, says that the first time she met Brittany was in a pool in Thailand, but again, gives no explanation. While it might seem in the doc like Brittany is deliberately keeping a low profile in light of her "whistleblowing," that is very much not the case today as Brittany leads a very public life and is still actively involved in politics.
4. What She's Doing Now
If LinkedIn is to be believed, Kaiser now makes her home in New York City where she's the co-founder of DATA (the Digital Asset Trade Association.) Her bio says: “I am an international law, diplomacy and data-driven campaigning professional with significant global experience. My work involves developing successful strategies for politicians, governments, and corporations to achieve their goals using cutting edge technology. Currently focused on legislative reform for digital assets such as personal data and tokens on the blockchain.” But starting this new enterprise isn't the only thing that Kaiser has been up to lately. In fact, one of the projects closest to her heart actually couldn't have happened had it not been for her experience with Cambridge Analytica.
5. Protecting Your Data
Kaiser has become a public speaker, promoting the hashtag "own your data." In fact, this seems to be a theme for Kaiser who spoke on the subject last year during Social Media Week and is slated to do so again next year. Interestingly, when it comes to data and privacy, Kaiser doesn't have the take you might expect. In fact, she doesn't advocate for privacy, but instead believes that data needs to be transparent (hence "owning" it). She thinks that it's the security of data that we should be focusing on. “Privacy is a scaremongering tactic that assumes people will abuse your data,” she said.
6. Her Politics
Brittany has said multiple times to multiple outlets that she is a proud Democrat, and her activism supports that statement. That seems to be at odds with working for Cambridge Analytica, a company that helped Donald Trump win the presidency and helped make sure that Britain voted to leave the EU. Though Kaiser continues to maintain that she is a Democrat, she was also reported as attending a party to celebrate Trump's win back in 2016, and she's listed as a speaker at February's CPAC, hardly a notch on the bedpost for any Dem worth their salt. Whatever her politics may be, one thing is certain, Kaiser has her eye on the prize and that prize is financial security for herself and her family.
Rebecca Jane Stokes is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York with her cats, Batman and Margot. She's an experienced generalist with a passion for lifestyle, geek news, pop culture, and true crime.