microtargeting
MY-kro-tar-git-ing
Definition
The practice of using data analytics and consumer information to identify and target specific, narrow segments of a population with personalized political or marketing messages.
Etymology
A compound formed from the prefix 'micro-' (meaning small or on a minute scale) and 'targeting' (the act of selecting or directing at an object). It emerged in the early 21st century to describe the shift from mass-media advertising to highly individualized digital communications.
In the news
The article uses the term to describe how firms like Cambridge Analytica used data-driven strategies to influence election outcomes in Kenya. It highlights the power of these methods to manipulate public perception and sow division.
The coup doesn't need soldiers anymore: Social media and the new assault on African democracy
Read the full article ↗MyJoyOnline