You Can't Hide from this App, Super PACs
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![superpacapp_medium SuperPACApp logo](/sites/default/files/slice/uploads/2012/07/superpacapp_medium.jpg)
The non-partisan Super PAC App, the brainchild of Dan Siegel MBA '12 and Jennifer Hollett (who created it as part of a Media Lab social TV class), aims to change that. It works like a song identification app, but for political commercials. Simply hold your iPhone up to the TV while a commercial is on. The app records a portion of the commercial then compares the audio to a database of all political ads. According to techPresident, Super PAC App will use a web crawler to scour video upload sites for new TV ads as well as rely on the developers' own efforts and the help of political reporters.
The app will then tell you who paid for the ad, whom they support, how much money they've raised and spent so far, what claims they make, and whether those claims are factual. The last bit of information is derived by linking to objective, third-party information. Users can also rate the ad and see what others think. The creators hope that Super PAC App will offer transparency and knowledge to a wider swath of the voting public.
The free app, which will be limited to presidential candidates, will available at the end of August, in time for the political conventions. See how it works below.
Comments
Jay DL Reyes
Wed, 08/22/2012 3:48pm
The app is a great public service.
The public has a greater need for transparency in our elections after the Citizens United decision by the Supreme Court and for disclosure of corporations and groups, particularly foreign and multinationals, supporting the candidates.
Charles Croop
Sun, 07/29/2012 6:22am
Very good can also rate the ad and see what others think.