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Regulating Digital Campaigning
Chapter

Regulating Digital Campaigning

Abstract

Abstract Digital technology has transformed and disrupted the election process. The actors and ways in which content manipulation tactics such as disinformation, influencers, troll armies, bots, hacking and hijacking of social media accounts through computer malware, and the use of artificial intelligence to generate deepfakes are growing. This chapter investigates how digital campaigning has changed in the last decade and compares the responses by governments, electoral management bodies, and digital platforms to address digital threats. It identifies the domestic sources of threats to digital campaigns, such as hacking, data-driven campaigns, and the spread of disinformation during the election cycle. Building on the global internet governance literature, this chapter offers a typology of regulatory responses consisting of legislative, self-regulatory, and multistakeholder approaches to address the disruptive effects of disinformation. The findings caution against top-down legislative, single solutions and suggest a mix of collaborative, multistakeholder approaches to build digital literacy and voter confidence in digital campaigning.

Authors

Tan N

Book title

The Oxford Handbook of Electoral Integrity

Publisher

Oxford University Press (OUP)

Publication Date

September 23, 2025

DOI

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197777497.013.0020
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