Those who are young and identify as gay often see very different political ads online than, say, someone in their 50s who identifies as a Christian. This is called “microtargeting” and we now consider it perfectly normal: different messages for specific target groups.
But if it’s up to the PvdA’s Paul Tang, that practice should be severely curtailed. He says this in response to the debate that the European Parliament is having on this issue. Tang argues that wildly different advertisements can lead to confusion about what a political party stands for. It can also lead to manipulation. Parties can present themselves very differently with different target groups.’
By itself, it is easy for parties to target specific target groups with tailored messages. Large social media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube have a large amount of data and can show advertisements aimed at certain target groups for a fee. “This allows very different messages to be generated for very different population groups,” says Tang, promising different things to those who are younger than those who are a little older.
Only with explicit permission
Tang wants the parties to be able to use personal data only if users give explicit permission for it. And he proposes that 60 days before the elections personal data can no longer be used. In other words, everyone will see exactly the same message. The political parties will then have to propose a coherent message that applies to everyone.
If microtargeting laws are changed at European level, the 2024 European elections in the Netherlands would be the first where the new rules would apply.