Exactly. Not just that, when the Obama used social media targeted advertising to its advantage it was fawned over in the media.
Cambridge Analytica was targeted purely because they were on the wrong political side, it's as simple as that. Does anyone really think they would have gotten any attention if they were working for Hillary?
Yes, I think they would have been screamed about from every Republican supporting media outlet there is. And I think they were targeted because of the underhanded way they went about collecting data, and for violating FB ToS.
But the real reason that I think they were targeted? I think they leaned into it as a submarine PR coverage tactic. "We're so effective that it's a national scandal" was a great marketing tactic in the (hopefully bygone) era when amorality had no consequences.
Cambridge Analytica was targeted purely because they were on the wrong political side, it's as simple as that. Does anyone really think they would have gotten any attention if they were working for Hillary?