uCampaign
Note: On the date of publication of this profile, the information PI retrieved from uCampaign's website was inaccessible. Therefore we have included links to the website from the Internet Archive records dated Jan 9th 2021.
uCampaign is one of the brand names of Political Social Media LLC, based in Washington DC but registered in Delaware, according to its SEC filings. Political Social Media also owns a number of other app developers, according to its patents, including:
-uCampaign
-RumbleUp - a messaging service
-Jarbik - another app service ‘built on uCampaign’
Its website claims to be a ‘global platform’, and lists the following countries: USA, Canada, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Ireland, UK, France, Germany, Cyprus, Malta, Mauritius, Australia.
What does uCampaign do?
uCampaign develops social network tools for supporters that facilitate data collection, profiling and targeting for political actors. Collaborating with clients to build and launch their own app using uCampaign's platform, the aim is to mobilise campaigners through ‘gamification’, where users can win points for campaign activity, like sending text messages and emails to their contacts and friends.
uCampaign's platform allows developers to manage their app and use ‘integrations’ such as Facebook, Twitter etc. It can also be integrated with NationBuilder, another company building software for political campaigns. Other features are offered such as matching supporters’ phone address book contacts to voter files or any other data source and location based check-in for supporters at political events.
The causes that have utilised uCampaign's services are mostly conservative leaning, such as Trump-Pence 2016, Vote Leave, the National Rifle Association, Save the 8th and LoveBoth, used in the run up to the abortion referendum in Ireland.
Data Collection, Profiling and Targeting
uCampaign's Privacy Policy collectively deals with personal information collected via the services offered on both the uCampaign mobile app and the uCampaign website. The policy is focused on the US. It includes what information they collect, how they use the information, with whom they share the data, how to access your information and opting out from communications, notification of changes to the privacy policy, security measures, retention policy, governing law, and contact information.
uCampaign's descriptions of their services promote that they are helping their clients target specific people. They don't specify what they do with personal data collected from clients' data sets.
uCampaign's Privacy Policy states that personal information may be shared with the following third parties - "Campaigns you support", "uCampaign Friends" (other users of the Platform, for example if you appear in the address book of another user), "Third Parties providing services on our behalf", "Business Transfers", "Competitions and other promotions", "Legal Protections and Law Enforcement."
uCampaign's Terms of Use are aimed at clients using the apps and people visiting websites of Political Social Media LLC. It refers back to the uCampaign Privacy Policy and there is no further information in the Terms of Use about how uCampaign collects and processes personal data.
