As political ads have become essential tools in the electoral process throughout the world, the emergence of digital platforms creates new avenues for political parties to stoke support. Our partner organisation, Reset Tech, researched the impact of political Facebook ads in the recent European Parliament (EP) elections, taking a much-needed look at how modern German voters interact with messaging from politicians and their parties alike.
European Elections: Germany’s Far-Right Shift in 2024
The 2024 European Parliament election in Germany indicated a remarkable political moment. The opposition CDU/CSU emerged as the largest party with around 30% of the vote, slightly improving on their 2019 performance, while the governing ‘traffic light coalition’ of the SPD, Greens, and FDP suffered significant losses. Most notably, the far-right AfD dominated in former East German districts, which placed the party firmly in second place. Likewise, the newly formed pro-Russian populist party, Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht, gained similar traction in the East.
New Research Shows Unexpected Ad Spending Patterns
Despite the surge in support for right-wing candidates and political parties in the 2024 EP elections, research from Reset Tech found surprising results in the breakdown of party spending during the campaign. To measure these spending patterns, they used the Who Targets Me browser extension, which gathers Facebook ad data from users who voluntarily download the tool. The research also utilised the Facebook Ads Library, comparing the reported ad spend from different political factions, which yielded surprising results.
Reset Tech discovered a pattern of spending which were not predicted at the outset, namely that far-right parties, despite their surging support, spent comparatively less than others on Facebook ads. How is it possible that parties with surging support, especially on social media, spent comparatively less than parties which lost ground? As Reset Tech reports, this could stem from the algorithmic favorability of right-wing content, which reduces the need for paid promotion and dissemination. In theory, this would render paid Facebook ads from moderate or left-wing parties ineffective in comparison, regardless of whether their campaigns prove popular outside digital platforms.
Recommendations for a Fairer Electoral Process
To combat unfair advantages presented to particular political messages by algorithmic incentives, Reset Tech recommends strengthening European regulations on ad targeting and transparency requirements. They believe that extending the scope of the Targeting and Transparency of Political Ads Regulation (TTPA) to include spending caps and centralised enforcement would greatly improve election integrity by filling in regulatory blind spots and improving efficiency. These changes could provide the much-needed tools for versatility in an ever-changing political media landscape.
Resources
Reset Tech's research brief (English)
More about Political Accountability Foundation
More resources from this project
Who tries to influence your vote on Facebook?
Polish Elections and the Rising Tide of Social Media
Who Owns Your News? Exploring Shifts in Spanish News and Elections
French Regulations Restrict Political Ads, Yet the Far-Right Surge
Bulgaria’s 2024 EP Elections: From Problematic Targeting Techniques to Regulatory Gaps
