There are numerous political hot subjects out there. Some, on the other hand, are so firmly embedded in political debate that they not only surface as heated themes on the campaign trail using websites and affordable local SEO services, but also have an effect on behind-the-scenes maneuvering. Such topics have the potential to impact how ordinary persons understand politics and absorb political information.
Political actors’ use of technology
The most easy method in which technology affects politics is as a tool for political actors, such as politicians, corporations, and other organizations, to properly assess, connect, and mobilize members of the public to their cause, as well as to broadcast political messages. Each time we see a campaign commercial on TV, swipe past a political ad on Facebook, or receive a flier in the mail, we see this in action.
Politics and Technology as an Election Platform
More controversially, most political candidates and several political groups have strong positions on technology-related issues like data privacy. Many politicians (and members of the public) are concerned with protecting people’s privacy rights. The “right to be forgotten” has practically become a household term, and in political groups like the Libertarian Party, this right is considered just as important as freedom of expression when it comes to personal liberty.
Technology as a Public Service Tool
Politicians and political groups aren’t the only ones that utilize technology to influence politics. The rise of digital platforms, particularly social media, has provided ordinary citizens unprecedented power to influence political reform.
Several experts, for instance, attribute the overthrow of political strongmen across the Middle East during the Arab Spring of 2011 in major part to the strength of social media and chat applications like WhatsApp, which enabled citizens to instantly organize and disseminate their voice around the world. Protest and police brutality footage shared on Facebook and Vine became viral, and were featured on CNN and the BBC.
