Social media is the new reality now. You tag your friends in memes and upload Instagram stories all the time. But do you ever stop and wonder if your own data can be used against you? The Great Hack recaps the time when it already happened.
The Great Hack takes you on a journey through the dark side of these social networks and asks a difficult question: Can your own data turn against you?
The movie is a joint direction by Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer. Netflix’s newest addition promises a full two hours of information and bitter revelations.
“Data is now more valuable than oil,” says Carroll as he talks about how Cambridge Analytica, disguised as an intelligence agency, got hold of information of over 30 million people in the US through Facebook alone. The movie follows David Carroll, a US media lecturer trying to get his own data back from the company.
The Great Hack is an attempt to understand that time period and follows the story as to what allowed a company to access such a large amount of data without any problems.
The Great Hack doesn’t rush things through. It slowly deconstructs the very system we all rely upon and dives to show just how far privacy was invaded that day.
The movie is constantly narrated by the people starring in it which makes the entire thing more personal. It’s taken a step further when you get to hear confidential recordings of Cambridge Analytica executives giggling about their fortune.
There is a bright side too. The journey of a key woman in all this trying to redeem herself gives hope to cling on to while the arc includes the very journalist who reported the scandal. Watching this movie will make you think twice about sharing that next selfie on your story.
The Great Hack is available to stream on Netflix.
Here’s the trailer: