Academic Journal
The birth of identity biopolitics: How social media serves antiliberal populism.
| Title: | The birth of identity biopolitics: How social media serves antiliberal populism. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Judge, Brian1 (AUTHOR) bjudge@berkeley.edu |
| Source: | New Media & Society. Jun2024, Vol. 26 Issue 6, p3273-3289. 17p. |
| Abstract: | This article establishes a theoretical link between the business model of social media and the resurgence of antiliberal populism. Through a novel set of tactics I term "identity biopolitics," political campaigns and foreign governments alike can identify voters as members of socioculturally differentiated populations, then target them with political messages aimed at cultivating voters' awareness of their particular disadvantage within the prevailing liberal order. Identity biopolitics exploits a positive feedback loop between targeting and content: the sociocultural differentiations liberalism declares politically irrelevant are used to target content that cultivates awareness of subjects' particular depoliticized disadvantage within the prevailing liberal order. The antiliberal populist exploits this condition to drive support for their political program. This article presents case studies of the Internet Research Agency and Cambridge Analytica during the 2016 general election in the United States to demonstrate the symbiosis between social media and antiliberal populism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Subject Terms: | *Social media, *Political campaigns, Social media in business, Elections, Vote buying, Liberalism, Traffic safety |
| Company/Entity: | Cambridge Analytica Ltd. |
| Copyright of New Media & Society is the property of Sage Publications, Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| ISSN: | 14614448 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/14614448221099587 |
| Database: | Communication & Mass Media Complete |