Will social media’s impact on the elections be different this time?

 Microtargeting will be a strategy

People are aware of how social media has its power in manipulative electioneering. Though Facebook has suspended Cambridge Analytica after the data leakage event, Facebook won’t stop micro-targeting campus on its platform. The rise of nanoinfluencers is worth to watch out. Political marketers will leverage nanoinfluencers in tandem with other forms of social media maculation to win people’s hearts. 

It’s too easy to weaponize algorithms

After the Cambridge Analytica scandal, social platforms have made an effort to change their algorithms and policies to prevent manipulations. However, there are still risks.

On Twitter, automated bots and fake accounts have increased since 2016. Just last month, a Twitter hack into blue check accounts, including those of Obama and Biden, showed that this year’s election is still at risk. 

This year 

In 2016, subversive actors used social media to manipulate the American political process. This year, with new social media players, TikTok, we may have some hope. Social media can be a tool for the halls of power to manipulate the Masses. It can also be a tool for grassroots mobilize against such power.