How hostile forces like Google and Facebook are weaponising our democracy – Yorkshire Post Letters

From: Mr A Bates, Lindley, Huddersfield.
Social media is changing the dynamics of political discourse in this country, but is it for the better?Social media is changing the dynamics of political discourse in this country, but is it for the better?
Social media is changing the dynamics of political discourse in this country, but is it for the better?

THE integrity of our democracy has been compromised and this is threatening the destiny of our nation.

There is a reason data technology companies (Google, Facebook etc) are now worth more than all the world’s oil companies. They have privileged access to all our data (likes, dislikes, habits, social networks, spending profiles etc) to build psychological profiles of all of us.

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Do tech giants like Google have too much influence on contemporary society?Do tech giants like Google have too much influence on contemporary society?
Do tech giants like Google have too much influence on contemporary society?

Many people would have firm opinions on where to place their vote in elections and referendums. But some people will not be decided or motivated to vote. Access to data allows analysis to identify those undecided voters who are open to persuasion.

There are also hostile external forces affecting our democracy. Foreign states have interfered by spreading fake news, and by having actors on social media forums expressing extreme opinions for both sides of any issue. This will have the affect of polarising opinions and spreading discord and antagonism in our nation. Authoritarian states have weaponised our democracy against us. We have been played.

The malign beauty of his manipulation is that the majority of the UK population either don’t realise or don’t want to accept this reality.