The political engineering industry, which involves manipulating politics through a variety of tactics such as online disinformation and data mining, has been a common practice in Russia since the Soviet era. However, these methods are now being used in countries all over the world, including China, Europe, India, and the United States. In this week’s episode of “The European Council on Foreign Relations Podcast,” Mark Leonard discusses with Andrew Wilson, a senior policy fellow at ECFR and professor of Ukrainian studies at University College London, the global spread of political manipulation and its impact on democracies.
The conversation explores the origins of the term “political technology,” how it has proliferated worldwide, and what measures democracies can take to protect themselves against manipulation. Andrew Wilson’s book “Political Technology: The Globalisation of Political Manipulation” provides further insight into this complex issue. Lawrence Lessig and Matthew Seligman’s book “How to Steal a Presidential Election” also sheds light on this evolving landscape of political manipulation and the challenges faced by democracies in safeguarding their political processes against these tactics.
Recorded on May 21, 2024, this episode delves into the nuances of political technology and its impact on democracies across the globe. It highlights how these tactics have evolved to encompass a wide array of techniques ranging from online disinformation to data mining astroturfing and propaganda apps creating a global market for manipulation strategies.
