Political Behavioral Targeting – University of Hohenheim

Network

We are a network of international scientists concerned with the topic of political microtargeting, its volume, effects, and normative implications. Our members come from various disciplines like Psychology, Communication Science, Political Science or Law and continously contribute to the body of knowledge regarding microtargeting. By connecting us and our research, we aim to understand the nature of targeted ads and their influence on individuals.

Rationale

Major political parties invest large amounts of money in digital election and advertising, especially for political microtargeting in social media.

(Die Zeit, 2019; Hegelich & Serrano, 2019; Scherfig, 2017)

0 %

of social media users in the U.S. say that targeted political advertising is not acceptable

(Smith, 2018)

0 %

of social media users in Germany demand that political advertising must be clearly marked

(Landesanstalt für Medien NRW, 2019)

0 %

of German social media users between 14 and 24 years say that political advertising must be regulated

(Landesanstalt für Medien NRW, 2019)

Voters attitudes require further investigation to further develop legislation and voters’ literacy and empowerment. In the workshop we will draw on different disciplinary perspectives on political behavioral targeting. We will establish a European network of researchers and activists, and, suggest clear-cut premises regarding whether and how microtargeting can be researched and regulated in a way that considers peoples’ privacy needs.