Social media become powerful tools for election propaganda in Colombia

Political counterparts have exploited the continued unregulated growth of social media platforms for their own propaganda in the upcoming presidential elections in Colombia where virtual reality is turning the advertising industry upside down.

There is considerable concern about the role that social media, such as Meta and Twitter, play in promoting propaganda during campaigns for the elections due to be held on May 29th.

Between the two most likely candidates in Colombia, Meta would have been paid at least USD250,000 with carefully targeted ads. Luisa Isaza, a researcher at Green Lantern, said segment advertising is a valuable tool for generating more leads on social media whether the candidates are targeting a specific neighborhood or the whole country.

Despite the data transparency efforts offered by Meta through its open library, it is impossible to guarantee the legality of campaign financing. Alejandro Barrios, the director of the Electoral Observation Mission, said Colombia has built a control system for the financing of political campaigns, elaborated in such a way that it does not work.

She added that the interactions generated from online advertising may well come from real citizens, bots, trolls and even external interests.