Definers Public Affairs

Niche opposition research and public affairs firm serving major corporate and technology clients, known for aggressive media and research tactics

Definers Public Affairs was a Washington D.C.-based political consulting and opposition research firm founded by veterans of Republican political campaigns. The firm specialized in providing research, communications strategy, and public affairs services to corporate clients, particularly in the technology sector. It became widely known for its aggressive opposition research tactics and its ability to shape media narratives on behalf of clients. The company gained significant public attention in November 2018 when The New York Times reported that Facebook had hired Definers to conduct opposition research on critics, competitors, and George Soros following the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The report revealed that Definers had worked to discredit Facebook's critics by linking them to Soros and liberal activist groups, and had placed stories with conservative media outlet NTK Network, which Definers had helped create. Following the New York Times exposé, Facebook announced it had terminated its relationship with Definers. The controversy significantly damaged the firm's reputation and led to broader scrutiny of the use of opposition research firms by major technology companies. Definers was not an AdTech company per se, but operated at the intersection of corporate communications, political consulting, and reputation management for tech industry clients.