#YouAreData

Technically Speaking Political Commentary

“I prayed for freedom for twenty years but received no answer until I prayed with my legs.”

By Perry Busby

On October 7, 2016, American voters officially became data. That may sound laughable to some and unbelievable to many. Others may say it’s scary, and I know for sure some are saying, “so tell me something I didn’t already know.”

For those who’ve been following the political theater taking place in our nation’s capital, you know October 7, 2016 is the date the Obama administration released a joint statement from the Department of Homeland Security and Office of the Director of National Intelligence acknowledging Russia was interfering in our election. It was also the day the Washington Post released the infamous Access Hollywood tape of then Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, openly admitting to sexually assaulting women, and WikiLeaks released thousands of emails from the Hillary Clinton Campaign, including many from campaign chair, John Podesta’s personal account.

At face value it appeared that our government was coming clean and admitting it had a problem; a sex scandal was brewing; and WikiLeaks was exposing the dark secrets we always knew existed in American politics.

However, at their core, these events were about data. You had the security and intelligence agencies admitting our data systems, specifically election systems, had been infiltrated. I firmly believe Trump, with help from Russia, released the other two data grabbing stories, knowing the news media would not pass up on a juicy sex scandal and a DC Insider story. He was not wrong; Americans were inundated with sex tales and stories about bad behavior, right up to election day.

Later, we would learn that a company by the name of Cambridge Analytica had collected data on over 53 million Facebook users and Russian troll farms were sending targeted messages to millions of users on Facebook and Twitter. While the impact of that targeted data campaign is still unknown, many cite it as a contributing factor in elections in Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Two years later, at the conclusion of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report, we eventually learned, Russia had engaged in a cyber campaign to gain access to voter databases in states and counties across the country.

Now, we see Trump openly asking Ukraine, China and other foreign countries to engage in activities that would further undermine the 2020 election. Just this past week, articles such as “Russian Secret Weapon Against U.S. 2020 Election Revealed In New Cyberwarfare Report”, “Iranian Hackers Target Trump Campaign as Threats to 2020 Mount” and “Why over 130,000 new voting machines could lead to more distrust in U.S. elections” have appeared in Forbes, New York Times and Salon, respectively. If that doesn’t tell you this is about data, and that data is you and me, then I’m not sure what will.

For the record, I am in full support of campaigns to register voters, overturn suppressive voter laws, remove the restrictive limits placed in Amendment 4, and any other campaign that aims to get voters to the poll. What I am advocating for is protection and verification of personal data and citizen led audits.

It begins with steps to verify and capture our voter registration data at key intervals leading up to an election and provides an opportunity for citizens to get engaged in the election process beyond casting a ballot. It allows you to have some level of control of your data and ensure the voice and will of your community is accurately shown.

Now, that we’ve gone through this radical transformation, it’s time we embrace the changes to protect us from looming threats.

In four months, the Iowa caucus officially kicks off the 2020 election season. This means we must begin to educate ourselves and develop strategies for our communities.

Let me know what you think. Email me at perrybusby03@gmail.com. As always stay tuned to the Westside Gazette for more information about your vote.