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APA

Bennett, C.J., & Lyon, D. (2019). Data-driven elections: implications and challenges for democratic societies . Internet Policy Review, 8(4). https://doi.org/10.14763/2019.4.1433

American Psychological Association. For more info, see https://www.apastyle.org

Chicago

Bennett, Colin J. and Lyon, David. 2019. "Data-driven elections: implications and challenges for democratic societies ". Internet Policy Review 8 (4). DOI: 10.14763/2019.4.1433. https://policyreview.info/data-driven-elections.

Chicago Referencing Style. For more info, see https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org

Harvard

Bennett, Colin J. & Lyon, D. (2019). Data-driven elections: implications and challenges for democratic societies . Internet Policy Review,[online] 8(4). Available at: https://policyreview.info/data-driven-elections [Accessed: 14 Aug. 2026].

Harvard Referencing Style

MLA

Bennett, Colin J., and Lyon, David. "Data-driven elections: implications and challenges for democratic societies ". Internet Policy Review 8.4 (2019). Web. 14 Aug. 2026.

Modern Language Association, 7th Ed. For more info, see https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/index.html

Vancouver

Bennett CJ, Lyon D. Data-driven elections: implications and challenges for democratic societies . Internet Policy Review [Internet]. 2019 [14 August 2026];8(4). Available from: https://policyreview.info/data-driven-elections

Vancouver Style. For more info, see https://library.vcc.ca/media/vcc-library/content-assets/documents/VancouverStyleGuide.pdf

Discussing three factors that characterise the activities of political campaigners, this article demonstrates variations in who is using data in campaigns, what the sources of campaign data are, and how data informs communication.

KEYWORDS: Data-driven campaigning, Micro-targeting, Regulation, Elections, Democracy

This article highlights what we know about the empirical effects of data-campaigning in political campaigns and how those findings fail to live up to claims about its power.

KEYWORDS: Data campaigning, Political campaigns, Big data, Micro-targeting, Social media

Personalised political messaging undermines voter autonomy and the electoral process. Use of voter analytics for political communication must be regulated.

KEYWORDS: Political autonomy, Micro-targeting, Privacy, Surveillance, Voting behaviour

Will the same cross-device technologies that track our journeys through the commercial marketplace now follow us into the polling booth?

KEYWORDS: Advertising, Elections, Micro-targeting, Privacy

Focusing on whether data-intensive technologies used in political campaigning are accurate and effective misses the point about their larger role in politics. This piece briefly addresses the popular question of “Does it work?” and suggests a series of questions and provocations that aim to more holistically capture the extent of tech-led disruption in a time of creeping voter surveillance.

Internet Policy Review is an open access and peer-reviewed journal on internet regulation.

Scholars, regulators, journalists, activists, and other stakeholders publish in the journal in a variety of formats

Research articles: In-depth scholarly research papers and essays
Concepts: Critical reflections on emerging core concepts of the digital society
Editorials: Contextual or thematic introductions to special issues
Essays: Free-form yet in-depth contentions with issues of academic or social relevance
News: Journalistic reports on events of interest to the Internet Policy Review community
Opinions: Opinion pieces commenting on developments in the realm of internet policy
Open Abstract: Extended abstracts for works in progress that receive public peer review

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Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society Center for Advanced Internet Studies in cooperation with additional partners

Special issue on the topic of
Inclusive by design? Participatory governance and the future of digital public spaces

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