Anamika Dey, editor
Brief news
- An advertisement featuring a disturbing video of an attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump is appearing in Google searches in Michigan.
- The advertisement leads users to the website of America PAC, an organization claiming to assist with voter registration.
- Users in non-competitive states are directed to their state’s voter registration page, while users in battleground states are prompted to provide detailed personal information, potentially for political purposes.
Detailed news
An advertisement that is somewhat startling may appear when a voter in Michigan carries out a Google search.
The advertisement depicts a young man who is resting in bed late at night when he receives a text message from another individual, who informs him, “Hey, you need to vote.” The individual then forwards the man a video of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. The fellow is able to hear the gunfire and the screams of individuals in the background.
The individual who is viewing the video types in response, “This is out of control,” as Trump is hurried off stage with blood streaming down his face. What is the best way to begin?
Subsequently, the advertisement displays the website of an organization known as America PAC.
The website asserts that it will assist the viewer in registering to vote. However, the experience a user has after clicking “Register to Vote” can vary significantly based on their location.
If a user resides in a state that is not considered competitive in the presidential election, such as California or Wyoming, they will be prompted to enter their email addresses and ZIP code. They will then be promptly directed to the voter registration page for their state or back to the original sign-up section.
However, the procedure is significantly different for users who input a ZIP code that indicates they reside in a battleground state, such as Pennsylvania or Georgia.
Rather than being directed to their state’s voter registration page, they are instead directed to a personal information form that is highly detailed and prompts them to input their age, address, and mobile number.
The system does not direct them to a voter registration page even if they consent to submit all of the aforementioned information. Rather, it displays a page that expresses gratitude.
Therefore, the individual who requested assistance with voter registration? Ultimately, they received no assistance with registration. However, they did provide a political operation with invaluable personal information.
In particular, a political action committee established by Tesla CEO Elon Musk with the objective of providing the Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump, with an advantage in his campaign against the de facto Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris.
“I have established a super PAC, or a PAC, called the America PAC,” Musk stated in a recent interview.
Forbes reports that Musk’s net worth exceeds $235 billion, and he also owns the social media platform X.
Musk has become a significant player in the American presidential election for the first time as a result of his ownership of a social media company, which provides him with a vast platform to advocate for his political beliefs, and his establishment of a PAC with virtually unlimited resources.
Musk PAC employs data from the “register to vote” system.
According to AdImpact, the America PAC has allocated over $800,000 to digital advertisements that target voters in the critical battleground states of Arizona, Michigan, Georgia, North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin since early July.
The advertisements were broadcasted on Facebook, Instagram, and Google through YouTube, and they all urged individuals to register to vote at America PAC’s website.
A critical component of the PAC’s strategy to establish intimate contact with these electors is its endeavor to gather information from individuals through the concept of “voter registration.”
Brendan Fischer, a deputy executive director at Documented, a campaign finance monitor, stated that America PAC is emphasizing door-to-door canvassing in support of Trump.
“I believe it is reasonable to assume that the voter data collected through these digital appeals will be used to inform America PAC’s canvassing and other political activities,” he continued.
The group’s privacy policy, as cited by Fischer, permits the use of the data they have collected for “other activities and/or fundraising campaigns.”
According to Federal Election Commission filings, America PAC has allocated over $21 million to canvassing, digital media, text message services, and phone calls since June.
The PAC’s website does not provide any indication of the group’s political stance. However, the organization discloses in its federal filings that each project is intended to either benefit Trump or undermine his opponent.
Fischer stated that he has observed other political action committees (PACs) attempt to collect data by utilizing a “register to vote” message.
But what distinguishes America PAC’s initiative is the timing of its inception and the individuals who back it.
Super PACs are typically prohibited from directly coordinating the advertisements they purchase with the campaign. However, this spring, regulators determined that door-to-door canvassing is not subject to the prohibition, as it is a person-to-person exchange, contrary to an advertisement.
“America PAC is a super PAC that is backed by billionaires and is dedicated to door-to-door canvassing. It is capable of conducting this activity in conjunction with a presidential campaign,” Fischer stated. “America PAC is now able to legally coordinate its canvassing activities with the Trump campaign, as a result of a recent FEC advisory opinion. This means that the Trump campaign may provide America PAC with the literature and scripts necessary to ensure that their efforts are consistent.”
“Coordination is of the utmost importance: it guarantees that the PAC’s activities are most advantageous to the campaign and frees up the campaign’s own funds for other purposes,” he stated. “I believe that the PAC’s capacity to coordinate its data-driven canvassing activities with the Trump campaign was highly appealing to donors.”
Phil Cox, Generra Peck, and Dave Rexrode, who have been Republican strategists for many years, are currently overseeing the PAC following a restructuring in mid-July, according to an individual with direct knowledge of the situation. Anonymity was granted to this individual in order to discuss a private matter without restriction.
This alteration implies that the PAC may implement a tactical adjustment as November approaches. The New York Times was the first to report on the developments.
Source : CNBC News
