‘Storyweapons’ and ‘fire hoses of falsehood:’ US military studies campaign techniques

Experts say governments have always spread disinformation to maintain power. But the rise of the Internet makes it much easier to influence public discussion and create confusion around issues. — Photo by visuals on Unsplash

Political candidates use as many techniques as they can to persuade you to vote for them.

They target you in standard ways, like collecting email addresses of people who attend rallies and filling up available commercial space with advertisements. But it also gets more sophisticated. They can target you based on the neighbourhood you live in and what websites you visit. They can appeal to some of your core fears in order to get you to the polls.