Carole Cadwalladr

Carole Cadwalladr
Molly MEP · CC BY 3.0 · source
Name	Carole Cadwalladr
Occupation	Journalist, author
Known for	Investigations into Cambridge Analytica, Facebook, and Brexit
Employer	The Observer
Awards	Orwell Prize, British Journalism Awards

Carole Cadwalladr. She is a British investigative journalist and author, best known for her groundbreaking work exposing the data privacy scandal involving the political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica and its links to the 2016 United States presidential election and the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum. Her reporting for The Observer and The Guardian meticulously detailed how personal data from millions of Facebook users was harvested and potentially used for political advertising and voter targeting. Cadwalladr's work has had significant global impact, leading to major parliamentary inquiries, substantial fines for Facebook, and ongoing debates about democracy, disinformation, and technology regulation.

Early life and education

Cadwalladr was born in Wales and spent part of her childhood in Swansea. She pursued her higher education at St John's College, Cambridge, where she studied English literature. Following her time at the University of Cambridge, she initially worked in the field of art history and publishing before transitioning into a career in journalism. Her academic background in critical analysis and literature would later inform her detailed, narrative-driven approach to investigative reporting on complex socio-political issues.

Journalism career

Cadwalladr began her journalism career writing for publications such as The Daily Telegraph and later became a feature writer for The Observer. She has authored long-form reports on a diverse range of subjects, from social issues in Britain to international profiles. Her work often focuses on the intersection of technology, power, and society. Prior to her investigations into data politics, she wrote extensively on themes related to religion, secularism, and culture, and published a novel, *The Family Tree*, in 2010. Her reporting style is characterized by deep, persistent investigation and a commitment to holding powerful institutions to account.

Cambridge Analytica and Facebook investigations

Cadwalladr's most significant work began in 2017 with a series of articles for The Observer that unveiled the activities of Cambridge Analytica. Her reporting, often in collaboration with whistleblower Christopher Wylie, revealed how the firm accessed the data of tens of millions of Facebook users via a personality quiz app, This Is Your Digital Life, developed by Aleksandr Kogan. She connected this data harvesting to the electoral campaigns of Donald Trump and the Leave.EU campaign during the Brexit referendum. Her investigations prompted hearings by the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee of the UK Parliament and the United States Senate. The scandal resulted in a landmark $5 billion fine for Facebook from the Federal Trade Commission and global scrutiny of Silicon Valley's practices.

Awards and recognition

For her impactful journalism, Cadwalladr has received numerous prestigious awards. She won the Orwell Prize for Political Journalism in 2018, specifically cited for her work on Cambridge Analytica and democracy. She has also been honored at the British Journalism Awards, receiving the Investigation of the Year award. Her reporting was instrumental in The Guardian and The New York Times winning the 2019 George Polk Award for National Security Reporting. She has been named Journalist of the Year by both the British Press Awards and the London Press Club, and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 2019.

Personal life

Cadwalladr maintains a relatively private personal life. She is known to reside in London and has spoken about the significant online harassment and legal threats she has faced as a result of her investigative work. She is an advocate for press freedom and the protection of journalists, often discussing these challenges in public lectures and interviews. Her commitment to her work continues to focus on issues of transparency, accountability, and the ethical implications of emerging technologies on public life.

Category:British investigative journalists Category:Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge Category:Orwell Prize winners