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APA

Bayer, J. (2020). Double harm to voters: data-driven micro-targeting and democratic public discourse. Internet Policy Review, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.14763/2020.1.1460

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

Chicago

Bayer, Judit. 2020. "Double harm to voters: data-driven micro-targeting and democratic public discourse". Internet Policy Review 9 (1). DOI: 10.14763/2020.1.1460. https://policyreview.info/articles/analysis/double-harm-voters-data-driven-micro-targeting-and-democratic-public-discourse.

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

Harvard

Bayer, Judit (2020). Double harm to voters: data-driven micro-targeting and democratic public discourse. Internet Policy Review,[online] 9(1). Available at: https://policyreview.info/articles/analysis/double-harm-voters-data-driven-micro-targeting-and-democratic-public-discourse [Accessed: 24 Aug. 2026].

Harvard Referencing Style

MLA

Bayer, Judit. "Double harm to voters: data-driven micro-targeting and democratic public discourse". Internet Policy Review 9.1 (2020). Web. 24 Aug. 2026.

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

Vancouver

Bayer J. Double harm to voters: data-driven micro-targeting and democratic public discourse. Internet Policy Review [Internet]. 2020 [24 August 2026];9(1). Available from: https://policyreview.info/articles/analysis/double-harm-voters-data-driven-micro-targeting-and-democratic-public-discourse

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

This paper investigates whether it is possible for external publics to detect algorithmic targeting in political advertisements, using the tools provided by the Facebook Ad Library.

KEYWORDS: Campaigns, Internet oversight, Transparency, Advertising, Political technology, Political micro-targeting, Online platforms

Political micro-targeting

Political advertising exposed: tracking Facebook ads in the 2021 Dutch elections

Davide Beraldo, University of Amsterdam
Stefania Milan, University of Amsterdam
Jeroen de Vos, University of Amsterdam
Claudio Agosti, University of Amsterdam
Bruno Nadalic Sotic, University of Amsterdam
Rens Vliegenthart, University of Amsterdam
Sanne Kruikemeier, University of Amsterdam
Lukas P Otto, University of Amsterdam
Susan A. M. Vermeer, University of Amsterdam
Xiaotong Chu, University of Amsterdam
Fabio Votta, University of Amsterdam

PUBLISHED ON: 11 Mar 2021

How can we monitor political ads circulating on social media in the run-up to an election? This essay learns from the project "Analysis of Political Ads in Digital Campaigns”, combining scraping methods and public opinion research to investigate how online advertising shape political preferences in the Dutch general elections (15-17 March 2021). It further reflects on the challenges of studying the impact of political micro-targeting.

In the wake of the Facebook/Cambridge Analytica scandal, it is timely to review the state of the debate about the impact of data-driven elections and to identify key questions that require academic research and regulatory response. The papers in this collection, by some of the world’s most prominent elections researchers, offer that assessment.

KEYWORDS: Micro-targeting, Political behavourial targeting, Political micro-targeting, Surveillance, Big data, Social media platforms

This paper analyses the spread of misinformation in the context of 2018 Brazilian elections. We give a general overview of the Brazilian political context, its media ecosystem and the weaponisation of the country’s most popular messaging app, WhatsApp, as a political persuasion tool. The current architecture of the platform does not allow, once appropriated for purposes of election campaigns, users to notice or become aware that they are being monitored and managed.

KEYWORDS: Political micro-targeting, Surveillance, Social media, Visibility, Brazil

Volume 6, Issue 4

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

Balázs Bodó, University of Amsterdam
Natali Helberger, University of Amsterdam
Claes de Vreese, University of Amsterdam
PUBLISHED ON: 31 Dec 2017 DOI: 10.14763/2017.4.776

Political micro-targeting has become a popular topic 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 destructive potential or if it’s “just” a new phenomenon to be incorporated into our political processes.

KEYWORDS: Political micro-targeting, Democracy

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

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Inclusive by design? Participatory governance and the future of digital public spaces

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