Context

In the summer before the Brexit referendum, the ‘Leave.EU’ campaign used social media to sway voters through fear and identity politics, illustrating how digital platforms can both empower and manipulate democratic processes. Today, similar trends are evident in India, where digital campaigns are crucial for both national and regional parties. The Lokniti-CSDS studies of the 18th Lok Sabha election (April-June 2024) show how these digital tools, while potentially empowering, can also distort public discourse.

Overview

Political ad campaigning in India has transformed significantly over the past decade. Once reliant on traditional media such as newspapers, television, and radio, campaigns have now moved predominantly to digital platforms. This change is largely driven by the surge in mobile phone users, thanks to affordable data plans and widespread access to social media and WhatsApp.

The Economics

• Influence of economic power on digital campaigning:The expenditure reports from the 2023 Karnataka Assembly election highlight the growing influence of economic power on digital campaigning. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) allocated RS7,800 lakh to digital ads, accounting for 52% of its total “party propaganda” budget. In comparison, the Indian National Congress spent RS4,900 lakh on digital ads, representing 55% of its propaganda budget. Traditional publicity methods, such as flags, billboards, public meetings, and rallies, comprised only 16% of the BJP’s and 7% of the Congress’s total spending. This shift towards digital platforms is further exemplified by the BJP's unprecedented expenditure of over RS116 crore on Google ads from January 2024. During the 2024 general election period, the BJP ran 89,000 Google ads, spending more than RS68 crore, while the Congress ran 2,900 ads, spending over RS33 crore.
• Use of micro-targeting base: An additional aspect of this digital strategy is the use of micro-targeting based on location, allowing parties to reach specific audiences down to the panchayat level with each advertisement. For example, the BJP was observed to micro-target over 1,700 pin codes in a single ad, showcasing the remarkable precision with which digital platforms can shape electoral narratives. This new dimension in political campaigning, where financial resources directly translate into targeted digital influence, represents a significant transformation in the democratic process.

The Narrative

• Third party campaigner: While the financial power of major political parties is well known, a more subtle force—third-party campaigners—operates behind the scenes. Though expenditure on Google Ads is publicly available, another element is at work, not just financially potent but also wielding significant influence and manipulation. This force operates from what can be called the "offshore islands of parties," remaining largely hidden from scrutiny and oversight. These 'offshore islands' symbolize the emergence of third-party campaigners in Indian elections.
• A Lokniti-CSDS study: examining 31 third-party campaigners on Meta revealed that these groups spent over RS2,260 lakh in the 90 days leading up to June 29, 2024. This raises critical questions about the motivations behind such significant financial investments. What drives these entities to spend large sums on campaigns for specific parties or candidates? The operations of these campaigners hint at a possible covert quid pro quo with political parties, suggesting that the parties might be indirectly orchestrating these expenditures.
• Inflammatory content: The content produced by third-party campaigners often proves more troubling than the financial resources they deploy. The study revealed that these campaigners used Islamophobic language and derogatory slurs in their advertisements, a stark contrast to the more restrained criticism found in official party ads on Google. This proliferation of inflammatory content not only skews democratic discourse but also raises ethical and regulatory concerns about the role of these entities in elections. Their activities blur the line between persuasion and manipulation, undermining the integrity of democratic engagement.
• This situation highlights three critical issues in digital campaigning that require urgent attention: expenditure regulation, content oversight, and the challenges posed by platform-specific strategies.
  • First: the disparity in financial resources among parties, evident in their digital ad spending on platforms like Google, creates an uneven playing field. Wealthier parties can dominate the digital space, disadvantaging both established and emerging competitors. This underscores the need for ‘segmented caps’ on campaign expenditures to ensure more equitable spending across various categories, including digital ads and rallies.
  • Second: content regulation is crucial given the role of third-party campaigners. To address this, strict expenditure reporting requirements should be implemented for these non-contestant entities, similar to practices in the UK and Canada. Additionally, an independent agency should audit their content after each election cycle to balance free speech with necessary oversight. This audit would go beyond the current capabilities of the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC), which has been found lacking.
  • Finally: the varied content strategies across digital platforms highlight the need for uniform regulatory frameworks. For example, while Google sees limited derogatory content and lower third-party spending, Meta hosts a large number of third-party campaigners who often feature problematic content. This discrepancy emphasizes the need for consistent, harmonized regulations to address harmful digital content across platforms and ensure that all tech giants are held to the same standards of accountability.

Need for reforms

• Outdated regulatory frameworks: In the digital age, while the nature of political campaigning has evolved, our regulatory frameworks remain outdated, creating gaps and deficiencies.
• To ensure inclusivity: To ensure technology strengthens rather than undermines democratic values, we must undertake thorough studies within the Indian context, particularly focusing on digital campaigning. Developing effective solutions requires moving beyond traditional political theories and creating a body of work that addresses the complexities of the digital landscape.
• Stringent content oversight: to minimise the hate speech , misinformation and disinformations.

Conclusion

The digitization of democratic campaigns has revolutionized political engagement through data-driven strategies and digital platforms. While this evolution has improved outreach and participation, it also presents significant challenges, such as the need for updated regulations, stringent content oversight, and fair financial practices. To safeguard the integrity of democracy, it is essential to implement comprehensive reforms that ensure digital tools support rather than undermine democratic principles.

Source: The Hindu