Technology And Politics: The Shifting Power Dynamics In The Age Of AI And Advanced Web 3.0 Technologies

From tech-enabled electoral campaigns, e-governance, and political activism, to deepfakes and other threats like misinformation and disinformation… The integration of technology and politics plays a crucial role in maintaining the dynamics in a digitally transformed world.

Table of contents:

• Introduction
• The intersection of politics and technology
• The digital revolution in political campaigning
• Data analytics and political microtargeting
• Technology and governance: From e-government to digital diplomacy
• Technology as a tool for political activism
• The threat of misinformation and disinformation
• Governmental use of technology for surveillance and control
• Technology and international relations
• Final thoughts

The smartphone is a revolutionary communication tool that offers features like calling, text messaging, internet access, email, fax, photos, videos, and numerous applications. Mobile devices play a key role in boosting political participation and are now even considered tools for encouraging voting in the least developed countries. The wider availability of mobile phones and the resulting access to the public sphere have strengthened the ability of individuals and groups to draw attention to and organise around specific issues.

Technology in politics is actually an amplification of a variety of ideas, processes, individuals, efforts, and social movements, which often include the internet and other communication technologies (ICTs). Researchers are increasingly looking into how Internet technologies affect political communication and participation, especially within what is known as the public sphere.

Social media has recently become one of the main platforms for politics. Millions of users can learn about political leaders' policies and statements, interact with them, organise events, and express their own views on political matters. 

India's 2014 general election, where social media played a pivotal role in shaping the political narrative. During this election, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its leader, Narendra Modi, made extensive use of platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to engage with voters, particularly young and first-time voters.

The BJP's use of social media for real-time updates, live speeches, and direct communication with the electorate set a new standard in Indian politics. Hashtags like #AbKiBaarModiSarkar became popular, and various social media campaigns helped Modi's message reach millions. 

Political campaigns also use social media to connect with voters through political advertisements.

A plethora of online tools encourage political participation and combat the spread of false information. 

Several online tools have been created to promote political involvement and fight against the spread of false information. FactCheck.org is a neutral platform that checks the factual accuracy of political statements and claims, helping to reduce misinformation. PolitiFact employs a "Truth-O-Meter" to assess the accuracy of claims made by politicians and advocacy groups, which helps create a more informed electorate. Additionally, TurboVote supports citizens by assisting them in registering to vote, providing election reminders, and sharing information about voting options, which encourages higher voter participation.

Comparing different civic technology platforms can help in understanding the unique services provided by each platform.

Singapore has been a leading example of promoting civic technology initiatives, especially through its Smart Nation program aimed at enhancing smart city governance. One notable platform is OneService, a mobile app that allows citizens to report municipal issues like infrastructure damage and waste management concerns directly to government agencies. 

The concept of the public sphere is referred to as the open social and public spaces where private individuals engage and share information and ideas relevant to society. These spaces can include town halls, public squares, markets, coffee shops, or what the ancient Greeks referred to as agoras. 

A modern example of the public sphere is Hyde Park's Speakers' Corner in London, where since the mid-19th century, individuals have gathered to openly discuss social, political, and cultural issues. It continues to serve as a space for public debate, allowing citizens and activists to share their views and engage in dialogue. 

In the digital age, social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook have also become virtual public spheres, enabling individuals worldwide to exchange information, express opinions, and participate in discussions on societal matters, transforming public engagement.

Scholars suggest that such spaces play a crucial role in building and maintaining an active and informed public within a democratic society.

In Jürgen Habermas' book The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere – An Inquiry into a Category of Bourgeois Society, he describes the public sphere as "a realm of social life in which public opinion can be formed." Ideally, the public sphere should be accessible to all citizens and remain free from control by governments or private businesses. Habermas further argues that:

"A portion of the public sphere is constituted in every conversation in which private persons come together to form a public. They are then acting neither as business or professional people conducting their private affairs, nor as legal consociates subject to the legal regulations of a state bureaucracy and obligated to obedience. Citizens act as a public when they deal with matters of general interest without being subject to coercion; thus with the guarantee that they may assemble and unite freely, and express and publicise their opinions freely."

The digital revolution in political campaigning

Political campaigns have drastically evolved over the past two decades. Gone are the days when politicians solely relied on door-to-door canvassing or print media. Today, data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok, Chatbots and Twitter are central to campaign strategies.

Former U.S. President Barack Obama’s 2008 election campaign, widely regarded as the first "social media election", used platforms like Facebook and Twitter to engage voters, raise funds, and organise grassroots efforts. Obama’s campaign team developed a sophisticated data-driven strategy to target specific voter groups, resulting in record-breaking fundraising and voter turnout. According to the Pew Research Center, more than half the adult population were online political users in the 2008 election.

In the 2020 U.S. presidential election, digital campaigning took centre stage, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which restricted physical gatherings. According to eMarketers, total US political ad spending will hit $12.32 billion in 2024, up nearly 29% from the prior presidential election in 2020. Data-driven campaigning strategies enabled both parties to target specific voter demographics using complex algorithms that predicted voter behaviour based on their online activity, demographics, and previous voting patterns.

Data analytics and political microtargeting

Microtargeting is a method where campaigns can customise political messages for specific groups based on their behaviour. Advanced methods of data analytics and machine learning leverage political parties by examining large amounts of data gathered from online activities and campaigns. These data points can be projected to predict voters’ behaviour and create personalised content to sway individual voters.

During the 2016 U.S. presidential election, the data analytics company Cambridge Analytica was accused of collecting personal data from millions of Facebook users without their permission and using this data to influence voters' choices. This incident sparked widespread concern over the ethics of data use in politics, as well as worries about privacy, data protection, and the fairness of elections.

A report by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in the UK highlighted that the use of personal data in political campaigns brings up "fundamental questions about the relationship between technology, democracy, and personal privacy." 

In response, governments around the world have introduced stricter rules on data protection, such as the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which aims to safeguard people's privacy in the digital era.

Technology and governance: From e-government to digital diplomacy

Technology has also transformed governance and public administration. The rise of e-government initiatives has changed how citizens access government services, making processes simpler and more efficient. Countries like Estonia lead the way in e-governance, providing a variety of digital public services, such as online voting and digital identity cards.

Estonia’s e-Residency programme, launched in 2014, enables non-Estonians to set up and manage a company online within the country’s legal framework, even if they are located elsewhere. By 2023, over 100,000 people from 176 countries had obtained e-residency, reinforcing Estonia's status as a world leader in digital governance. The World Economic Forum has praised Estonia’s model for demonstrating how technology can promote transparency, accessibility, and efficiency in public services.

Technology has also introduced the idea of digital diplomacy, where governments and political leaders use digital platforms to connect with citizens and other countries. 

Ukraine's e-residency initiative was introduced as part of its broader digital diplomacy efforts. In 2020, Ukraine launched the "Diia" app and platform, offering digital services to its citizens worldwide, including e-passports, e-residency, and remote business registration.

This initiative allowed Ukrainians abroad to maintain a connection with their homeland by accessing government services digitally, promoting civic engagement even from afar. It also positioned Ukraine as a forward-thinking nation in the digital space, enabling greater connectivity with global citizens, fostering international business opportunities, and strengthening diplomatic ties through technology.

Social media has become a vital tool for diplomacy, allowing leaders to directly communicate with the foreign public and bypass traditional diplomatic channels. 

Former U.S. President Donald Trump often used Twitter to announce policy decisions and engage with global leaders, marking a new era in digital diplomacy. 

One of the most notable policy decisions announced on Twitter was his ban on transgender individuals serving in the U.S. military. On July 26, 2017, Trump tweeted that the U.S. government would no longer "accept or allow" transgender individuals to serve "in any capacity" in the military.

Technology as a tool for political activism

Digital platforms offer a space for grassroots movements to organise, gather supporters, and make their voices heard on a global stage.

The 2011 Arab Spring showed the impact of social media as a tool for political mobilisation. Protesters in Tunisia, Egypt, and other Middle Eastern nations used Facebook and Twitter to organise rallies, share information, and highlight their calls for political change. In many instances, social media allowed activists to bypass government-controlled media and communicate directly with the world.

Similarly, the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, which gained momentum in the United States in 2020 after George Floyd’s death, relied heavily on social media to spread its message and organise protests. The hashtag #BlackLivesMatter appeared millions of times on platforms like Twitter and Instagram, helping to rally a global movement against police violence and racial injustice. Social media also played a vital role in fundraising, with platforms such as GoFundMe being used to support demonstrators and victims of police violence.

However, using technology for political activism comes with risks. In authoritarian countries, governments often monitor digital platforms and use surveillance technologies to crack down on dissent. 

China’s handling of pro-democracy movements, particularly in Hong Kong using technology to monitor and suppress dissent. During the 2019 Hong Kong protests, the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities employed digital surveillance technologies to crack down on activists. Facial recognition systems were widely used to identify protesters, leading many to wear masks and use umbrellas to avoid detection.

 Additionally, reports surfaced of phone tracking and hacking, with the government allegedly pinpointing protest leaders' locations through their devices. Social media platforms were also closely monitored, with dissenters facing censorship or even arrest based on their online activities. 

In places like China, Russia, and Iran, political activists who use social media to organise protests face the threat of arrest, imprisonment, and harassment. The growing use of AI-powered surveillance tools, such as facial recognition technology, further increases these dangers.

Technology enables governments with international relations

The growing influence of technology in politics extends beyond domestic governance into international relations. Cyber warfare has emerged as a new area of global conflict, where both state and non-state actors engage in cyberattacks to achieve political or military goals.

One of the most significant examples of cyber warfare in recent history is the 2020 SolarWinds cyberattack, which was attributed to Russian hackers. These hackers breached the software supply chain of SolarWinds, a U.S. IT company, compromising the networks of several U.S. government agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and the Treasury Department. This cyberattack showed how vulnerable critical infrastructure is to cyber threats and highlighted the urgent need for stronger cybersecurity measures in national defence.

As the number and complexity of cyberattacks increase, international organisations such as NATO have recognised cyberspace as a new domain of warfare, alongside land, sea, air, and space. NATO’s 2021 Brussels Summit Declaration reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to defending its members from cyberattacks, emphasising the growing significance of cybersecurity in international security policy.

Governmental use of technology for surveillance and control

While technology has empowered citizens, it has also been used by governments to monitor, control, and sometimes suppress political activities. Surveillance technology has become a powerful means for governments to track dissidents, stifle opposition, and maintain control over their populations.

In China, facial recognition technology, big data, and artificial intelligence (AI) are part of a wider surveillance system that keeps watch on citizens' activities. The Chinese government’s "Social Credit System" uses technology to monitor and assess citizens’ behaviour, imposing potential penalties on those who do not follow state-approved conduct.

Countries like Russia, Iran, and Turkey have used technology to suppress political opposition by censoring online platforms and tracking dissidents' activities. According to Freedom House's 2021 report, internet freedom has been declining for more than a decade, with governments in over 40 countries employing technology for political repression.

How an integration of technology and politics can cause the threat of misinformation and disinformation

While technology has brought many benefits to political systems, it has also created new challenges, especially in the area of cybersecurity. The move towards digital electoral processes and government systems has made them more vulnerable to cyberattacks, posing a serious risk to the security of democratic institutions.

The alleged Russian involvement in the 2016 U.S. presidential election is a classic example of cyber-interference. A report by the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee indicated that Russian actors carried out cyberattacks on state election systems, hacked political organisations, and spread false information on social media to create division and influence the election’s outcome. This incident highlighted the risks elections face from foreign interference, prompting efforts worldwide to strengthen cybersecurity measures in electoral processes.

In the United Kingdom, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has raised similar concerns, warning about potential cyberattacks targeting the country's vital infrastructure and election systems. The NCSC has worked closely with the Electoral Commission to protect elections from cyber threats, introducing measures like public awareness campaigns on voting security and cybersecurity checks for political parties.

A 2019 study by Oxford University, organised social media manipulation campaigns were found in each of the 81 surveyed countries, up 15% in one year, from 70 countries in 2019. The development of deepfake technology, which can produce realistic but entirely fake videos, adds another threat to political stability, as it becomes harder to tell what is real from what is fake.

Integrating technology and Politics: Final thoughts 

The relationship between technology and politics is complex and multifaceted, presenting both opportunities and challenges for modern governance. Technology can enhance political participation, improve public services, and enable more effective policymaking. However, it also brings significant risks, such as the spread of misinformation, the erosion of privacy, and the widening of the digital divide.

As technological advancements continue to speed up, political actors must navigate these challenges carefully to harness the benefits of technology while reducing its negative effects. Governments, civil society, and the private sector need to work together to ensure that technology is used in ways that promote democratic values, protect individual rights, and encourage inclusive political participation.

Ultimately, the impact of technology on politics will depend on how it is managed and regulated. How can one ensure that bringing technology into politics enhances democracy without threatening individual freedoms and trust in society?