political microtargeting

Who Do Parties Target?: Worldwide Evidence on Political Microtargeting external link

Votta, F., Kruschinski, S., Fuglsang Hove, M., Helberger, N., Dobber, T. & Vreese, C.H. de

In: The Routledge Companion to Social Media and Politics, Routledge, , pp: 215-242

Abstract

This chapter examines how political parties around the world design and implement targeting strategies in their digital campaigns, highlighting both common practices and important differences across contexts. It asks: How prevalent is political microtargeting across the globe, and how does its use vary across countries and parties? To answer this, the chapter draws on a unique dataset of Facebook and Instagram political advertisements placed during 113 national elections in 95 countries between 2020 and 2022, covering more than 54,000 advertisers and 2.5 million ads. The analysis shows that digital targeting has become a near-universal campaign feature, though its specific use reflects institutional, regulatory, and political conditions. Most campaigns employ relatively simple criteria such as location and demographics, rather than the highly sophisticated methods often assumed in public debates. The chapter concludes by discussing implications for research and regulation, stressing the need to link studies of digital campaigning more closely with theories of party competition and democratic accountability.

Links

political microtargeting

RIS

TY  - CHAP
AU  - Votta, F.
AU  - Kruschinski, S.
AU  - Fuglsang Hove, M.
AU  - Helberger, N.
AU  - Dobber, T.
AU  - Vreese, C.H. de
PY  - 
DA  - DATE ERROR: pub_date = 
T1  - Who Do Parties Target?: Worldwide Evidence on Political Microtargeting
SP  - 215-242
DO  - https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003359524
AB  - This chapter examines how political parties around the world design and implement targeting strategies in their digital campaigns, highlighting both common practices and important differences across contexts. It asks: How prevalent is political microtargeting across the globe, and how does its use vary across countries and parties? To answer this, the chapter draws on a unique dataset of Facebook and Instagram political advertisements placed during 113 national elections in 95 countries between 2020 and 2022, covering more than 54,000 advertisers and 2.5 million ads. The analysis shows that digital targeting has become a near-universal campaign feature, though its specific use reflects institutional, regulatory, and political conditions. Most campaigns employ relatively simple criteria such as location and demographics, rather than the highly sophisticated methods often assumed in public debates. The chapter concludes by discussing implications for research and regulation, stressing the need to link studies of digital campaigning more closely with theories of party competition and democratic accountability.
K1  - political microtargeting
ER  -

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Bibtex

Chapter{nokey,
	title = {Who Do Parties Target?: Worldwide Evidence on Political Microtargeting},
	author = {Votta, F. and Kruschinski, S. and Fuglsang Hove, M. and Helberger, N. and Dobber, T. and Vreese, C.H. de},
	url = {https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003359524-17/parties-target-fabio-votta-simon-kruschinski-mads-fuglsang-hove-natali-helberger-tom-dobber-claes-de-vreese},
	doi = {https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003359524},
	year = {},
	date = {DATE ERROR: pub_date = },
	pages = {215-242},
	abstract = {This chapter examines how political parties around the world design and implement targeting strategies in their digital campaigns, highlighting both common practices and important differences across contexts. It asks: How prevalent is political microtargeting across the globe, and how does its use vary across countries and parties? To answer this, the chapter draws on a unique dataset of Facebook and Instagram political advertisements placed during 113 national elections in 95 countries between 2020 and 2022, covering more than 54,000 advertisers and 2.5 million ads. The analysis shows that digital targeting has become a near-universal campaign feature, though its specific use reflects institutional, regulatory, and political conditions. Most campaigns employ relatively simple criteria such as location and demographics, rather than the highly sophisticated methods often assumed in public debates. The chapter concludes by discussing implications for research and regulation, stressing the need to link studies of digital campaigning more closely with theories of party competition and democratic accountability.},
	keywords = {political microtargeting},
}

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Two crates of beer and 40 pizzas: the adoption of innovative political behavioural targeting techniques external link

Dobber, T., Trilling, D., Helberger, N. & Vreese, C.H. de

Internet Policy Review, vol. 2017, num: 4, 2018

Abstract

Political campaigns increasingly use data to (micro)target voters with tailored messages. In doing so, campaigns raise concerns about privacy and the quality of the public discourse. Extending existing research to a European context, we propose and test a model for understanding how different contextual factors hinder or facilitate data-driven capabilities of campaigns. We applied the model during the 2017 national election campaign in the Netherlands. The results show how data-driven targeting techniques are not only useful in a first-past-the-post system, but also in a proportional representation system, which at first sight seems to be less suitable for such techniques.

RIS

TY  - JOUR
AU  - Dobber, T.
AU  - Trilling, D.
AU  - Helberger, N.
AU  - Vreese, C.H. de
PY  - 0119
DA  - 2018-01-19
T1  - Two crates of beer and 40 pizzas: the adoption of innovative political behavioural targeting techniques
JO  - Internet Policy Review
VL  - 2017
NV  - 4
AB  - Political campaigns increasingly use data to (micro)target voters with tailored messages. In doing so, campaigns raise concerns about privacy and the quality of the public discourse. Extending existing research to a European context, we propose and test a model for understanding how different contextual factors hinder or facilitate data-driven capabilities of campaigns. We applied the model during the 2017 national election campaign in the Netherlands. The results show how data-driven targeting techniques are not only useful in a first-past-the-post system, but also in a proportional representation system, which at first sight seems to be less suitable for such techniques.
K1  - campaigns
K1  - frontpage
K1  - innovation
K1  - Political behavourial targeting
K1  - political microtargeting
ER  -

Save .RIS

Bibtex

Article{Dobber2018,
	title = {Two crates of beer and 40 pizzas: the adoption of innovative political behavioural targeting techniques},
	author = {Dobber, T. and Trilling, D. and Helberger, N. and Vreese, C.H. de},
	url = {https://policyreview.info/articles/analysis/two-crates-beer-and-40-pizzas-adoption-innovative-political-behavioural-targeting},
	year = {0119},
	date = {2018-01-19},
	journal = {Internet Policy Review},
	volume = {2017},
	number = {4},
	abstract = {Political campaigns increasingly use data to (micro)target voters with tailored messages. In doing so, campaigns raise concerns about privacy and the quality of the public discourse. Extending existing research to a European context, we propose and test a model for understanding how different contextual factors hinder or facilitate data-driven capabilities of campaigns. We applied the model during the 2017 national election campaign in the Netherlands. The results show how data-driven targeting techniques are not only useful in a first-past-the-post system, but also in a proportional representation system, which at first sight seems to be less suitable for such techniques.},
	keywords = {campaigns, frontpage, innovation, Political behavourial targeting, political microtargeting},
}

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Political micro-targeting: a Manchurian candidate or just a dark horse? external link

Bodó, B., Helberger, N. & Vreese, C.H. de

Internet Policy Review, vol. 2017, num: 4, 2018

Abstract

Political micro-targeting (PMT) has become a popular topic both in academia and in the public discussions after the surprise results of the 2016 US presidential election, the UK vote on leaving the European Union, and a number of general elections in Europe in 2017. Yet, we still know little about whether PMT is a tool with such destructive potential that it requires close societal control, or if it’s “just” a new phenomenon with currently unknown capacities, but which can ultimately be incorporated into our political processes. In this article we identify the points where we think we need to further develop our analytical capacities around PMT. We argue that we need to decouple research from the US context, and through more non-US and comparative research we need to develop a better understanding of the macro, meso, and micro level factors that affect the adoption and success of PMTs across different countries. One of the most under-researched macro-level factors is law. We argue that PMT research must develop a better understanding of law, especially in Europe, where the regulatory frameworks around platforms, personal data, political and commercial speech do shape the use and effectiveness of PMT. We point out that the incorporation of such new factors calls for the sophistication of research designs, which currently rely too much on qualitative methods, and use too little of the data that exists on PMT. And finally, we call for distancing PMT research from the hype surrounding the new PMT capabilities, and the moral panics that quickly develop around its uses.

RIS

TY  - JOUR
AU  - Bodó, B.
AU  - Helberger, N.
AU  - Vreese, C.H. de
PY  - 0119
DA  - 2018-01-19
T1  - Political micro-targeting: a Manchurian candidate or just a dark horse?
JO  - Internet Policy Review
VL  - 2017
NV  - 4
AB  - Political micro-targeting (PMT) has become a popular topic both in academia and in the public discussions after the surprise results of the 2016 US presidential election, the UK vote on leaving the European Union, and a number of general elections in Europe in 2017. Yet, we still know little about whether PMT is a tool with such destructive potential that it requires close societal control, or if it’s “just” a new phenomenon with currently unknown capacities, but which can ultimately be incorporated into our political processes.   In this article we identify the points where we think we need to further develop our analytical capacities around PMT. We argue that we need to decouple research from the US context, and through more non-US and comparative research we need to develop a better understanding of the macro, meso, and micro level factors that affect the adoption and success of PMTs across different countries. One of the most under-researched macro-level factors is law. We argue that PMT research must develop a better understanding of law, especially in Europe, where the regulatory frameworks around platforms, personal data, political and commercial speech do shape the use and effectiveness of PMT. We point out that the incorporation of such new factors calls for the sophistication of research designs, which currently rely too much on qualitative methods, and use too little of the data that exists on PMT. And finally, we call for distancing PMT research from the hype surrounding the new PMT capabilities, and the moral panics that quickly develop around its uses.
K1  - democratie
K1  - frontpage
K1  - Online platforms
K1  - Personal data
K1  - political microtargeting
K1  - Regulation
ER  -

Save .RIS

Bibtex

Article{Bodó2018,
	title = {Political micro-targeting: a Manchurian candidate or just a dark horse?},
	author = {Bodó, B. and Helberger, N. and Vreese, C.H. de},
	url = {https://policyreview.info/articles/analysis/political-micro-targeting-manchurian-candidate-or-just-dark-horse},
	year = {0119},
	date = {2018-01-19},
	journal = {Internet Policy Review},
	volume = {2017},
	number = {4},
	abstract = {Political micro-targeting (PMT) has become a popular topic both in academia and in the public discussions after the surprise results of the 2016 US presidential election, the UK vote on leaving the European Union, and a number of general elections in Europe in 2017. Yet, we still know little about whether PMT is a tool with such destructive potential that it requires close societal control, or if it’s “just” a new phenomenon with currently unknown capacities, but which can ultimately be incorporated into our political processes.   In this article we identify the points where we think we need to further develop our analytical capacities around PMT. We argue that we need to decouple research from the US context, and through more non-US and comparative research we need to develop a better understanding of the macro, meso, and micro level factors that affect the adoption and success of PMTs across different countries. One of the most under-researched macro-level factors is law. We argue that PMT research must develop a better understanding of law, especially in Europe, where the regulatory frameworks around platforms, personal data, political and commercial speech do shape the use and effectiveness of PMT. We point out that the incorporation of such new factors calls for the sophistication of research designs, which currently rely too much on qualitative methods, and use too little of the data that exists on PMT. And finally, we call for distancing PMT research from the hype surrounding the new PMT capabilities, and the moral panics that quickly develop around its uses.},
	keywords = {democratie, frontpage, Online platforms, Personal data, political microtargeting, Regulation},
}

Save .bib