Over the last few days we’ve been reading how FB data is being used to influence voters. Perhaps this might have happened in America, but India is not so sophisticated that our voting patterns can be influenced by “white collared” targeted campaigns of Cambridge Analytica. India is too vast, diverse and complex a country for this to happen. Can our data be really used to influence our own thinking? Some researchers have demonstarted how the influence is very nominal. Psychographic profiling will at best be a good script for a new Hollywood thriller but otherwise, knowing what someone liked on FB can hardly be used as a tool to sway elections.
During the last Goa elections, AAP’s social media campaign was by far the best but they failed to win any seats. Elections are fought on the ground. There has to be good ground level set up and party workers to manage a winning campaign. Credibility, money, development, past performance, party base and ideology are other significant factors.
Many politicians use social networks to keep in touch with the public. But let us not overestimate the ability of third party agencies to influence us and underestimate the real reasons of winning elections, which are won more through a personal touch. A job in the house, a water tap, proper electricity and sanitation, are things that matter in today’s political scenario. Not some psychological campaigns using your data. The data breach was certainly wrong and scary but if Political parties think they can win elections through data warfare, then their fall is imminent. They need to get to work and start performing.
Sandeep Heble, Panjim
