The Guardian

Facebook needs to be more open about its effect on democracy | John Gallacher and Monica Kaminska

Social media plays a huge role in elections. But while Twitter allows access to its data, Facebook’s secrecy means the extent of its influence may never be known
‘During the 2017 general election young voters in particular turned to social media as their primary source of political news and information.’ Photograph: Chris Radburn/PA

Facebook and Twitter fast became major electoral battlegrounds in the 2017 general election. It is here that campaigns had the potential to be won or lost. Young voters in particular turned to social media as their primary source of political news and information.

Worryingly, multiple reports noted that political parties used controversial to reach key demographics with highly personalised messages. Independent research of how these sites are

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