ABSTRACT. The realm of politics (and social relations in general) during the era of social media and massive amounts of data about citizens is undergoing a creeping transformation that the general public does not understand. This essay draws attention to the increasingly deep conditioning of the political sphere through a new, directly unobservable form of data-driven political communication. This communication, using social media user data and algorithms for its analysis, is fundamentally changing the conditions of politics and electoral campaigning. Additionally, it is introducing a new form of information asymmetry that privileges tech giants and individuals with the capital to buy access to these data. As a result of this marriage of technology corporations and their wealthy principals, political discourses are being radicalised and controlled, weakening the democratic system.

Keywords: data-driven political communication; big data; social media; tech companies; data-driven digital divide

How to cite: Baranowski, M. (2022). “Radicalising Cultures of Uneven Data-Driven Political Communication,” Knowledge Cultures 10(2): 145–155. https://doi.org/10.22381/kc10220227

Received 5 May 2021 • Received in revised form 10 May 2022
Accepted 18 July 2022 • Available online 1 August 2022