UCampaign

{{Short description|U.S, web development company}}

{{lowercase title}}

uCampaign, the operating name of Political Social Media LLC,{{r|Warren}} is a Washington-based web development startup that produces apps for United States Republican campaigns.{{Cite news |last1=Singer |first1=Natasha |last2=Confessore |first2=Nicholas |title=Republicans Find a Facebook Workaround: Their Own Apps |work=The New York Times |date=2018-10-20 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/20/technology/politics-apps-conservative-republican.html |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |df=mdy-all }} The company has produced apps for dozens of right-wing campaigns and organizations, including: Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, the Republican National Committee, the Family Research Council,{{r|NYT}} the National Rifle Association, and Senator Rand Paul.{{r|Warren}} uCampaign produced similar apps for President Donald Trump (known as America First) and the primary campaign of Senator Ted Cruz.{{Cite web |last1=Timm |first1=Jane C. |title=New Trump app wants you and your data |work=NBC News |date=2016-08-31 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/trump-s-new-app-wants-you-your-data-n640236 |language=en |accessdate=2018-10-20 |df=mdy-all }}{{Cite web |last1=Warren |first1=Christina |title=Amazingly, Donald Trump's New App Is Not a Joke |work=Gizmodo |date=2016-08-22 |url=https://gizmodo.com/amazingly-donald-trumps-new-app-is-not-a-joke-1785592675 |language=en-US |accessdate=2018-10-20 |df=mdy-all }} News organizations raised privacy concerns over how the apps collected broad user data beyond the apps' stated purpose.{{Cite web |last1=Chmielewski |first1=Dawn |title=Security Flaws Found (And Fixed) in Cruz Campaign App |work=Recode |date=2016-03-11 |url=https://www.recode.net/2016/3/11/11586910/security-flaws-found-and-fixed-in-cruz-campaign-app |accessdate=2018-10-20 |df=mdy-all }}{{Cite web |last1=Lomas |first1=Natasha |title=One more thing re: 'privacy concerns' raised by the DCMS fake new report |work=TechCrunch |date=2018-07-30 |url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/07/30/one-more-thing-re-privacy-concerns-raised-by-the-dcms-fake-new-report/ |language=en-US |accessdate=2018-10-20 |df=mdy-all }} Outside of the United States, their apps are used by conservative political parties and anti-abortion groups in Australia, Canada, and Europe,{{r|NYT}} including an app in support of Brexit.{{r|Warren}} uCampaign charges a single fee for the base app and monthly maintenance thereafter.{{r|NYT}}

Their apps use concepts from video games to induce users towards specific actions with badges, points, and social recognition as rewards, a concept known as gamification. For example, in uCampaign's National Rifle Association app, the player is awarded points for sending messages to elected officials.{{Cite web |title=The NRA Has a Secret Weapon to Fight Gun Control: A Powerful App |work=AdAge |date=2018-03-01 |url=https://adage.com/article/digital/nra-a-secret-weapon-fight-gun-control-app/312577/ |language=en |accessdate=2018-10-20 |df=mdy-all }}

The company's chief executive, Thomas Peters, is a Catholic blogger and former web developer. He founded the company in 2014 from his earlier experiences working as a conservative activist in 2012 and frustrations at the success of the Obama campaign's digital campaigning. Peters received $150,000 in seed funding from Sean Fieler, a hedge fund president and prominent donor to Conservative organizations.{{r|NYT}}