Our new policy paper, “Like, share, vote. How do political influencers affect elections?” sheds light on the growing role of content creators in political campaigns and the problems related to it. The report proposes four policy recommendations that make elections fairer by tackling lack of transparency in monetisation mechanisms, inadequate disclosure of paid political influence, algorithmic amplification of divisive political content and profiting from disinformation. As the European Union expands the Democracy Shield and the Digital Fairness Act, it is crucial that policymakers recognise the influencer economy not as a passing fashion or obstacle, but as the foundational infrastructure of contemporary political communication.
The publication debuted at an expert seminar at Warsaw School of Economics featuring a panel moderated by Anna Wittenberg with PhD Anna Frydrych-Depka (Nicolaus Copernicus University, Political Accountability Foundation), Jakub Szymik, and influencer-author Rafał Masny. The following discussions between advertising professionals, regulators, academics, watchdogs, and creators demonstrated the urgent need of striking balance between enhancing transparency and safeguarding freedom of expression.
An English version of the report premieres on 26th November at a Brussels event co-organised with the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD).
Both the English version and the Polish version are available for download.