Digital Campaigning and Political Finance in the Asia and the Pacific Region: A New Age for an Old Problem

Democracies are experiencing a digital disruption. Disinformation is rife in elections, and there is interference by foreign countries as well; meanwhile, the public sphere is being undermined through virality (the premium on emotional appeals) and polarization (e.g. through filter bubbles and echo chambers). These challenges are exacerbated by an erosion of political autonomy with the ‘choice architecture’ established by information technology companies, together with the substantial market (quasi-monopolistic) power of ‘big tech’ companies.