Launch of Influence and Political Integrity: Mapping Regulatory Frameworks for Influencers in Elections

Social media influencers are playing an increasingly prominent role in elections, from voter outreach and civic engagement to covert campaigning, disinformation and coordinated foreign interference. As parties, candidates, governments, civil society organizations and foreign actors engage influencers, electoral management bodies and policymakers face growing questions about whether and how to respond.

The University of Ottawa Centre for Law, Technology and Society and the Pol Comm Tech Lab, in collaboration with International IDEA, invite you to a discussion on these challenges and the findings of the new report, Influence and Political Integrity: Mapping Regulatory Frameworks for Influencers in Elections.

The report examines how existing regulations are struggling to keep pace with political influencer activity and presents 17 recommendations for electoral management bodies, legislators and platforms. These address key challenges around political finance, transparency, freedom of expression, platform design, enforcement and emerging issues such as AI-generated influencers and non-financial foreign interference.

Three of the report’s authors will present its key findings, followed by a moderated discussion exploring their implications for electoral bodies, policymakers, platforms and civil society, and how these stakeholders can respond to the challenges posed by political influencers.

About the speakers

Dr. Elizabeth Dubois is an Associate Professor and University Research Chair in Politics, Communication and Technology at the University of Ottawa where she runs the Pol Comm Tech Lab and is a member of the Center for Law, Technology and Society. She is also a Faculty Associate and former Fellow at the Berkman-Klein Center at Harvard University. Her work examines political uses of digital media, including artificial intelligence, political social media influencers, and online harassment of public figures.

Dr. Katharine Dommett is Professor of Digital Politics at the University of Sheffield. Her research focuses on the impact of digital technology on election campaigning, with a particular focus on regulation. Professor Dommett has worked closely with the UK Electoral Commission, the Irish Electoral Commission and Privacy Commissioners in a range of national contexts.

Dr. Arturo Arriagada is Associate Professor of Digital Culture and Creative Labor at Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez in Chile and a Research Associate at the Oxford Internet Institute (OII). His research interests include workers' experiences in the gig and creator economies, artificial intelligence, creativity, and cultural production.