DATADRIVEN: Data-driven campaigns: intended and unintended consequences for democracy

Data-driven political campaigns are on the rise. Concerns have been voiced that practices like online
political microtargeting techniques are harmful for democracy. These concerns grew after the unexpected
outcome of the US presidential elections in 2016, the Brexit vote in the UK, and several recent elections
in Europe. However, it is unclear if data-driven campaigns using online microtargeting techniques are an
actual threat to democracy. The project will focus on both the intended and unintended consequences of
data-driven targeting and digital persuasion. In light of ongoing political and societal turmoil, investigating
how citizens may be persuaded in a turbulent age and in a changing media landscape has never been
more important. The study will focus on micro (consequences for citizens), meso (consequences for
political elites), and macro level effects (consequences for democracy). The project will address four
research questions: (RQ1) How do organizations shape elections campaigns by targeting potential voters
online during elections? (RQ2) What are the constitutional and legislative frameworks shaping the extent
and nature of data-driven campaigning in European countries? (RQ3) How are data-driven targeting
practices perceived? (RQ4) To what extent do data-driven targeting practices actually affect voters? The
project is novel as it (1) extends and empirically tests a theoretical framework of data-driven
campaigning, while (2) using a mixture of research methods and a (3) comparative perspective.
DATADRIVEN will offer a deeper understanding of online data-driven targeting techniques during elections
in four European countries (i.e., Netherlands, Germany, Austria, and United Kingdom).