You, like almost everyone else around the world, have a smartphone right next to you at this moment. And if you don’t have your smartphone adjacent, you may have a smart speaker, a laptop, or any of the thousands of other technological wonders that could be listening to everything you say or do. All this to say, you are likely being listened to by some tech and that data is probably going to be used against you. This may sound like an exaggeration or paranoia, but as you can see in the new doc “The Great Hack,” it’s more real than you probably realize.
The upcoming Netflix documentary is set to debut in only a couple of weeks after a big premiere at this year’s Sundance. “The Great Hack” tells the story of Cambridge Analytica, the company that was under investigation and intense scrutiny for how it used data obtained through social media and other technology to market political campaigns and “fake news.” Basically, how they used your own habits and interests against you.
The filmmakers behind “The Square,” Karim Amer and Jehane Noujaim, return in this new doc that aims to show you how everyday use of technology is supplying companies like Facebook and Google with all the information they need to know everything about you. And in 2019, apparently that data is worth more than oil.
“The Great Hack” debuts on Netflix on July 24.
Here’s the synopsis:
Updated from its Sundance debut in a new cut featuring additional interviews and footage, THE GREAT HACK uncovers the dark world of data exploitation, offering astounding access to the personal journeys of key players in the explosive Cambridge Analytica/Facebook data scandal. Award-winning filmmakers Karim Amer and Jehane Noujaim (The Square, Control Room, Startup.com) continue their tradition of exploring the seismic ripples of social media with this riveting, complex film.
Data has surpassed oil as the world’s most valuable asset. It’s being weaponized to wage cultural and political warfare. People everywhere are in a battle for control of our most intimate personal details. THE GREAT HACK forces us to question the origin of the information we consume daily. What do we give up when we tap that phone or keyboard and share ourselves in the digital age?
