DATADRIVEN: Data-driven campaigns: intended and unintended consequences for democracy

数据驱动的政治运动正在兴起。有人担心，像在线政治微目标技术这样的做法对民主有害。在2016年美国总统大选的意外结果、英国脱欧公投以及最近欧洲的几次选举之后，这些担忧加剧了。然而，目前尚不清楚使用在线微目标技术的数据驱动运动是否对民主构成实际威胁。该项目将重点关注数据驱动的目标定位和数字说服的预期和意外后果。鉴于持续的政治和社会动荡，调查如何在动荡的时代和不断变化的媒体环境中说服公民从未像现在这样重要。该研究将侧重于微观（对公民的影响），中观（对政治精英的影响）和宏观层面的影响（对民主的影响）。该项目将解决四个研究问题：（RQ1）在选举期间，组织如何通过瞄准潜在的在线选民来影响选举活动？（RQ2）在欧洲国家，哪些宪法和立法框架塑造了数据驱动的竞选活动的范围和性质？（RQ3）如何看待数据驱动的定位实践？数据驱动的目标定位实践在多大程度上影响了选民？该项目是新颖的，因为它(1)扩展并实证测试了数据驱动运动的理论框架，而(2)使用了研究方法和(3)比较视角的混合。DATADRIVEN将对四个欧洲国家（即荷兰、德国、奥地利和英国）选举期间的在线数据驱动定向技术提供更深入的了解。

Data-driven political campaigns are on the rise. Concerns have been voiced that practices like onlinepolitical microtargeting techniques are harmful for democracy. These concerns grew after the unexpectedoutcome of the US presidential elections in 2016, the Brexit vote in the UK, and several recent electionsin Europe. However, it is unclear if data-driven campaigns using online microtargeting techniques are anactual threat to democracy. The project will focus on both the intended and unintended consequences ofdata-driven targeting and digital persuasion. In light of ongoing political and societal turmoil, investigatinghow citizens may be persuaded in a turbulent age and in a changing media landscape has never beenmore important. The study will focus on micro (consequences for citizens), meso (consequences forpolitical elites), and macro level effects (consequences for democracy). The project will address fourresearch questions: (RQ1) How do organizations shape elections campaigns by targeting potential votersonline during elections? (RQ2) What are the constitutional and legislative frameworks shaping the extentand nature of data-driven campaigning in European countries? (RQ3) How are data-driven targetingpractices perceived? (RQ4) To what extent do data-driven targeting practices actually affect voters? Theproject is novel as it (1) extends and empirically tests a theoretical framework of data-drivencampaigning, while (2) using a mixture of research methods and a (3) comparative perspective.DATADRIVEN will offer a deeper understanding of online data-driven targeting techniques during electionsin four European countries (i.e., Netherlands, Germany, Austria, and United Kingdom).