Personal Data: Political Persuasion Visual Gallery
What happens when the techniques of the marketing industry become the tools that influence our democracy?
An entire sector is built around the acquisition and use of personal data for political campaigns. In order to understand what this means for our democracies, now and in the future, we first need to understand who is part of this industry and what tools they are using.
We found over 300 companies around the world who use data to give political parties insights into who voters are, what they want to hear and how to persuade them.
Upon doing a deep dive into their websites, we found a range of companies, consultancies, agencies and marketing firms, from local start-ups to global strategists, targeting parties that span the political spectrum.
This virtual, visual gallery captures the promises of these companies, giving a unique window into the services they promote and the compelling language they use, phrases like “we power democracy”, “emotions driven by data”, “changing the world one pixel at a time” and“winning elections with social intelligence”.
Mostly for-profit companies, with the primary aim of generating, maintaining and growing revenue, it is important to ask – what are the implications of allowing politics to be largely swayed by data-driven technology organisations?