Theory of Knowledge - Course Companion for Students Marija Uzunova Dang Arvin Singh Uzunov Dang

IV. Ethics
a 2018 article for the New York Times,
In
Nyhan, Professor of Public Policy at
Brendan
University of Michigan, argues that the
the
of times fake news items are liked
number
shared or retweeted may seem impressive
and
you look at the complete picture of how
until
information is available online. In 2018,
much
reported that 2.1 million election-related
Twitter
to examples from this section and
Referring
discuss the following questions.
below,
What are the implications of microtargeting
1.
political knowledge?
for
How might microtargeting for political
2.
be different from microtargeting
knowledge
Why do observers and experts disagree
3.
the impact of behavioural
about
1: Wakefield, J. 2018. “Cambridge
Source
Can Targeted Online Ads Really
Analytica:
a Voter’s Behaviour?” (BBC News
Change
online)
terms: Wakefield
Search
Cambridge Analytica
BBC
powerful influence of emotional
The
is well known; however, the,
advertising
that currently exists for product
regulation
does not, as yet, cover online
marketing
campaigns. Chris Sumner, Research
political
at the Online Privacy Foundation, has
Director
team simulated a campaign to test
Sumner’s
they could identify, target and influence
whether
on the EU referendum. For example,
voters
used language of fear to target“neurotic
they
(Wakefield 2018) and more
personalities”
messaging for audiences that were
energetic
found that people behaved as we
“We
they would. If you get the
predicted
US Presidential election campaign, but in
2016
these represented just 1% of all election-
fact
tweets. In a separate study with other
related
Nyhan also found that: “fake news
researchers,
was heavily concentrated among a
consumption
group — almost 6 in 10 visits to fake news
small
came from the 10% of people with the
websites
conservative online information diets”
most
right they can be very powerful
messages
Messaging works and is really
indeed.
can nudge people one
effective—and
or the other.” (Sumner quoted in
way
2: Cadwalladr, C. 2016. “Google,
Source
and the Truth About Internet
Democracy
terms: Guardian
Search
democracy truth
Google
Cadwalladr, writing in the UK newspaper
Carole
Guardian, argues that whether or not
the
propaganda influenced the 2016
microtargeted
referendum or the US Presidential elections,
Brexit
problem remains the lack of transparency and
the
about how voters’ personal data is
regulation
terms: reason
Search
Analytica
Cambridge
Nolan Brown argues that too
Elizabeth
is being made of both the power and
much
of behavioural microtargeting. People
novelty
worried about devious political actors
have
voters throughout the history of
influencing
including political advertisements via
politics,
and robocalls when they were first
television
introduced.
2
tweets were posted by Russian bots during the
(Guess et al 2018).
Box 2.4: The impact of behavioural microtargeting in politics
Wakefied 2018)
that affects consumer purchase decisions?
Search” (the Guardian)
microtargeting in politics?
targeted online ads
being mined and used to influence them.
3: Brown, E.N. 2018. “Cambridge
Source
WasDoing Marketing, Not Black
Analytica
Magic” (Reason.com)
pointed out the significant issues that arise.
doing marketing
identified as being motivated byanger.
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