RightNets
A multidisciplinary approach to develop models for analyzing social media data to assist public authorities in monitoring election campaigns and political financing compliance.
Normative and Digital Solutions to Counter Threats during National Election Campaigns (RightNets)
The absence of specific regulations for digital campaigning poses risks to democratic systems. This includes the potential for foreign states to influence elections through online political advertising and the possibility of covert or illicit political financing. Social networks are key platforms for digital campaigning, enabling targeted propaganda (micro-targeting) and playing a significant role in shaping the voter-politician relationship.
RightNets aims to collect and analyze large amounts of anonymized data from social networks (such interactions, ad spending, posts) by the cooperation between data scientists and legal scholars. This interdisciplinary approach is intended to create models for analyzing social media data that can assist public authorities in monitoring legal compliance in election campaigns and political financing. The goal is to develop tools for monitoring the origins of political ads on social networks and evaluate the extent of foreign interference in Italian elections. The research will also consider regulatory measures to counter such threats and ensure a fair and fraud-free online political competition. Lastly, it will explore the contemporary meaning of political representation.
RightNets focuses on three objectives divided into two target research areas:
- Transparency
- Examining the impact of fake bot engagement in social media during elections, focusing on legal and political strategies to ensure fairness and transparency in online political activities. This includes assessing platform rules on issues like hate speech and the role of party-run platforms in candidate selection
- Tracking the origin of political ads by analyzing private funding flows for online propaganda, comparing this data with official political party accounts to check campaign financing compliance, and addressing potential foreign interference in Italian elections.
- Accountability
- Analyzing candidates’ responsiveness and accountability to their constituencies, exploring their engagement with local communities, and investigating the link between social engagement and voter abstention, especially among younger demographics.