Shadow Inc. Finally Speaks Amid Public Outcry, Says Nothing: ‘We Sincerely Regret the Delay’

Shadow Inc., the company behind the app used to compile the results of the Iowa Caucus, finally issued a statement on Tuesday following the disastrous error which led to no full results being declared.

“We sincerely regret the delay in the reporting of the results of last night’s Iowa caucuses and the uncertainty it has caused to the candidates, their campaigns, and Democratic caucus-goers,” the company wrote in a series of Twitter posts. “As the Iowa Democratic Party has confirmed, the underlying data and collection process via Shadow’s mobile caucus app was sound and accurate, but our process to transmit that caucus results data generated via the app to the IDP was not.”

We sincerely regret the delay in the reporting of the results of last night’s Iowa caucuses and the uncertainty it has caused to the candidates, their campaigns, and Democratic caucus-goers.

— Shadow, Inc. (@ShadowIncHQ) February 4, 2020

As the Iowa Democratic Party has confirmed, the underlying data and collection process via Shadow’s mobile caucus app was sound and accurate, but our process to transmit that caucus results data generated via the app to the IDP was not.

— Shadow, Inc. (@ShadowIncHQ) February 4, 2020

“Importantly, this issue did not affect the underlying caucus results data,” Shadow Inc. claimed, adding, “We worked as quickly as possible overnight to resolve this issue, and the IDP has worked diligently to verify results.”

Importantly, this issue did not affect the underlying caucus results data. We worked as quickly as possible overnight to resolve this issue, and the IDP has worked diligently to verify results.

— Shadow, Inc. (@ShadowIncHQ) February 4, 2020

The company concluded that it would “apply the lessons learned in the future, and have already corrected the underlying technology issue.”

We will apply the lessons learned in the future, and have already corrected the underlying technology issue. We take these issues very seriously, and are committed to improving and evolving to support the Democratic Party’s goal of modernizing its election processes.

— Shadow, Inc. (@ShadowIncHQ) February 4, 2020

The statement, however, did not prove to be enough for many Americans, who considered the words to be too little, too late.

Prove it. You should give your money back. https://t.co/hiKOQurjW9

— Nomiki Konst (@NomikiKonst) February 4, 2020

apology accepted. haha just kidding

— post malört (@JoshhTerry) February 4, 2020

In the private sector, this company would be shut down by sunset, its employees scattered to the wind, and a tell-all book deal signed by sunrise tomorrow. https://t.co/lwjjzBflOw

— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) February 4, 2020

if you are hired to do a job and you do it badly….you should lose the job https://t.co/PALpLFy3yQ

— Joshua Rivera (@jmrivera02) February 4, 2020

you fucked up

— Rob (@robrousseau) February 4, 2020

If Shadow, Inc. and the Iowa Democratic Party want to reestablish trust, then they should…

1) Publish a detailed technical post-mortem of last night’s failures

2) Allow for critical technologists and academics to examine their system

Both are standard in Silicon Valley. https://t.co/qzKw2F2jkp

— Alex Stamos (@alexstamos) February 4, 2020

One of the more unfortunately named businesses out there. (Still better than Fraud Guarantee, I suppose.) https://t.co/XQ2rRSu2hC

— Mike DeBonis (@mikedebonis) February 4, 2020

Shadow Inc.’s failure to deliver the results on Sunday led to widespread panic and conspiracy theories, which claimed the company had deliberately sabotaged the caucus for political reasons.