A monster looms, threatening our democracy. The monster comes in many forms, from online misinformation networks and deepfakes, to social media bots and psychological microtargeting that uses our personal data to customize political messages to our interests, attitudes and demographics.
Considering that roughly half of the world's population will go to the polls in 2024, democracy may seem to be in good health. But many worry that it is being undermined by powerful new digital technologies that can target individuals, manipulate voters, and influence elections. Fears about digital influence stem in part from the novelty of the technology. We're still so new to the online age that no one fully understands what's going on, much less what's coming. Every new technology is unfamiliar, and it can sometimes feel like the rules of the game are being rewritten. But are these concerns justified?
We are one of a growing number of researchers with expertise in political science and psychology who are trying to drag these monsters out of the shadows. Our research aims to shed light on how new technologies are being used, by whom, and how effective they are as tools of propaganda. By carefully defining the concept of digital manipulation, we can better understand than ever the threat it poses to democracy. While some lobbying groups loudly warn about its dangers, our research points to more surprising conclusions. Moreover, our findings can help society better prepare to confront digital demons, by telling us exactly what we should worry about and what are just ghosts of our imagination.
In the UK in 2010…
