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Platform transience: changes in Facebook's policies, procedures, and affordances in global electoral politics

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  • Barrett, Bridget
  • Kreiss, Daniel

Abstract

This paper presents two case studies of Facebook's rapid changes relating to international electoral politics: the "I'm a Voter" affordance and the platform's data and targeting capabilities. The article shows how Facebook changed with respect to its policies, procedures, and affordances, especially given the normative pressure exerted by journalists. Drawing from these case studies, we conceptualise continual and rapid change as "platform transience" and argue that it often arises from external pressure and economic considerations. Platform transience has significant implications for the ability of stakeholders to hold platforms accountable, raises significant issues for electoral fairness, and increases the potential for unequal political information environments.

Suggested Citation

  • Barrett, Bridget & Kreiss, Daniel, 2019. "Platform transience: changes in Facebook's policies, procedures, and affordances in global electoral politics," Internet Policy Review: Journal on Internet Regulation, Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG), Berlin, vol. 8(4), pages 1-22.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:iprjir:214103
    DOI: 10.14763/2019.4.1446
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Chester, Jeff & Montgomery, Kathryn C., 2017. "The role of digital marketing in political campaigns," Internet Policy Review: Journal on Internet Regulation, Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG), Berlin, vol. 6(4), pages 1-20.
    2. Gorwa, Robert, 2019. "What is Platform Governance?," SocArXiv fbu27, Center for Open Science.
    3. de Reuver, Mark & Sørensen, Carsten & Basole, Rahul C., 2018. "The digital platform: a research agenda," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 80669, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    4. Gorwa, Robert, 2019. "What is Platform Governance?," SocArXiv fbu27_v1, Center for Open Science.
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