The Impact of Social Media in the American Elections
Social media has radically changed the dynamics of American elections in recent years. As the influence of traditional media outlets has diminished, social media platforms have played a critical role in directly reaching, informing and mobilizing voters. In this article, we will discuss the impact of social media on American elections.
Barack Obama's 2008 Campaign
Barack Obama's effective use of social media in the 2008 presidential elections is an important example of how election campaigns can be conducted in the digital age. Obama's campaign achieved great success by reaching out to young voters through platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The campaign raised funds, organized events and communicated directly with voters through social media.
2016 Presidential Elections and Social Media Manipulation
Russia's Intervention and Fake News
The 2016 US Presidential Election is one of the most striking examples of how social media can influence election results. Allegations of Russian interference in the elections demonstrated how social media can be manipulated in this process. Misinformation spread through fake accounts and bots on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter seriously influenced voters' opinions and behavior.
As the campaign began, analysts assumed that social media would be used in potentially powerful new ways, due to the increased reach and capacity of social media sites of all kinds since the last election cycle. Using newly available data, the Wall Street Journal predicted that the use of campaign ads targeting individuals would be among the more notable innovations. Political newspaper The Hill concluded not only that “social media's impact in this presidential election is stronger than ever” but also that it “will shape campaigns for years to come”. According to The Wall Street Journal, “traditional media” and the Democratic and Republican parties have lost their “dominance” of public opinion to the “digital revolution”.
Cambridge Analytica Scandal
In the 2016 elections, another important event that increased the impact of social media was the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Cambridge Analytica collected Facebook users' data without permission and used it to target voters. This incident showed how vulnerable social media platforms are when it comes to protecting personal data and preventing manipulation.
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Data Collection
Cambridge Analytica collected the data of millions of users on Facebook through an app called “This Is Your Digital Life”. Users used the app to take personality tests and shared their personal data in the process. However, the app not only collected users' data, but also the data of their Facebook friends without their permission. In this way, the data of approximately 87 million users was collected.
Use of Data
This collected data was used by Cambridge Analytica to build voter profiles and create personalized political ads and messages. This strategy aimed to target specific groups of voters and influence their voting behavior. The company used this data to help Donald Trump's campaign in the 2016 US presidential election, and similar strategies were employed in the Brexit referendum.
Emergence of the Scandal
In 2018, Christopher Wylie, a former employee of Cambridge Analytica, exposed these data collection and use strategies. These revelations were widely published by major media outlets such as The Guardian and The New York Times. This sparked a major debate about Facebook's data security policies and the protection of user data.
Following the scandal, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was forced to testify before the US Congress and the European Parliament. Facebook started to take serious measures to protect user data and various regulations were introduced. Cambridge Analytica went bankrupt and closed down after the incident.
The Cambridge Analytica incident once again demonstrated the importance of personal data protection and ethical data use in the digital age. At the same time, it has increased demands for greater transparency and accountability in how big tech companies manage and protect user data.
The Future of Social Media and Election Security
The role of social media in elections once again demonstrates the power of technology and digital communication. However, the vulnerability of these platforms to misinformation and manipulation raises serious concerns about election security. In the future, more effective regulations and policies will be needed to balance the role of social media in elections. This is vital both to ensure that voters are properly informed and to safeguard the democratic process.
Social media has an increasing influence in American elections. Social media platforms have fundamentally changed the way candidates reach and mobilize voters. However, the vulnerability of these platforms to misinformation and manipulation raises serious concerns about election security. In the future, more effective regulations and policies will be needed to balance the role of social media in elections.
The 2024 US elections will once again demonstrate the power of social media and digital marketing. Much of the election campaigning will be conducted on digital platforms, and candidates will develop innovative digital strategies to reach voters. Social media will play a critical role in delivering candidates' messages to large audiences, while targeted digital ads will become an important tool to influence voter behavior. In this election, the importance of social media and digital marketing will be more evident than ever before and will be a major factor in shaping the results. Will the election results prove once again how essential success in the digital world is for modern political campaigns?