Fighting for votes in 'the world's biggest data mine'

In India, the combination of widespread smartphone usage and limited regulations on data privacy has created a situation where political parties have unprecedented access to personal information about voters. This includes details such as religious affiliation, language preferences, and even communication patterns on social media. Rutwik Joshi, a political strategist working with multiple lawmakers, emphasizes the significance of this data in predicting voting behavior. The practice of microtargeting, which involves tailoring political messages and advertisements to specific individuals, has become a key strategy for election campaigns. While microtargeting is not a new concept, it gained widespread attention following the 2016 US presidential election, during which allegations were made against Cambridge Analytica for utilizing personal data to influence voter opinions. The concerns surrounding data privacy and microtargeting have also surfaced in India, where the absence of robust safeguards has left citizens vulnerable to potential exploitation of their personal information by both private entities and political organizations.