Private Republican, Democrat data shared in Snap snafu

SNAP, THE SOCIAL MEDIA GIANT THAT OWNS SNAPCHAT, IS DOING SOME DAMAGE CONTROL. A SNAP SNAFU ALLOWED REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS TO TARGET ADS USING DATA INTENDED FOR THEIR POLITICAL FOES.

ACCORDING TO AXIOS, POLITICAL ADS ON SNAPCHAT ARE USUALLY BASED ON THE INFORMATION PROVIDED BY TWO DATA BROKERS: i360 AND TARGETSMART.

i360 DATA IS SUPPOSED TO BE AVAILABLE ONLY TO REPUBLICANS. TARGETSMART IS THE DEMOCRAT EQUIVALENT.

BUT SNAP SAYS AN OVERSIGHT ALLOWED NON-APPROVED ENTITIES ACCESS TO THE DATA.

SO, DEMOCRATS COULD SEE I360’S DATA, REPUBLICANS COULD PERUSE TARGESMART’S…AND BOTH SIDES COULD USE THEIR OPPONENTS’ INFORMATION TO DIRECT ADS AT SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS ON THE PLATFORM.

AXIOS REPORTS IT DOESN’T APPEAR EITHER REPUBLICANS OR DEMOCRATS USED THE DATA IN ANY NEFARIOUS WAYS—

BUT DEMOCRATIC USE OF THE DATA WAS MUCH MORE PROLIFIC.