Social media in the hands of parties to reach voters, expert lists the risks in Politiko: From privacy violations to manipulations

Prepared by: Suela Gjidede

Social media and technology have changed the way political parties communicate with voters.

In Albania, platforms such as Facebook, Instagram or even TikTok are used to distribute political messages and create a more direct connection with the electorate, however, this fosters the possibility of manipulating public opinion and a lack of transparency in political advertising.

Blerim Gjeladini, an expert in social networks and technology, founder of Terra and Development Partner of Meta, tells Politiko.al how social media influences political parties to target voters, while the campaign for the May 11 elections starts in just a few days.

He points out that social media algorithms allow political parties to target voters with personalized messages, creating opportunities but also challenges, such as echo chambers and political polarization. Gjeladini also discussed efforts for transparency in political advertising and the risks associated with the use of voters' personal data.  

Question: Mr. Gjeladini, how do social media algorithms affect the way political parties target voters?

Blerim Gjeladini: Thank you, Suela. Social media algorithms are designed to show content that users are likely to engage with, based on their past behavior. For political parties, this means they can target specific groups with personalized messages.

For example, if a user frequently engages with content on environmental issues, a party could show them ads about its green policies.

However, this can lead to the creation of echo chambers, where users primarily see information that reinforces their existing beliefs, potentially deepening political polarization.

Research, such as that published in [Science and Nature] (https://moody.utexas.edu/news/socialmediainelections), shows that changes in algorithms affect what users see, but do not significantly change political beliefs in the short term. This suggests that the relationship between social media and polarization is complex.

Question: This is important. Are there mechanisms to guarantee the transparency of political advertising on these platforms?

Blerim Gjeladini: Yes, major platforms like Meta have implemented tools to increase transparency. For example, Meta's ad library allows the public to see active political ads, know who funded them, and understand the targeting criteria. Advertisers also have to go through an authorization process, including identity verification and disclosure of the source of funding.

Further, starting next year, there will be requirements to declare whether AI or digital techniques were used to create or alter ad content, particularly for ads that feature fake events, as [Meta News](https://transparency.meta.com/policies/ad-standards/siep-advertising/siep) reports.

However, there are debates over the effectiveness of these measures, as [Wired](https://www.wired.com/story/facebook-political-ads-transparency/) points out, raising questions about full implementation.

Question: What are the main risks associated with the use of voters' personal data?

Blerim Gjeladini: The main risks include privacy violations and the potential for manipulation. When political entities collect and use personal data without proper consent, this violates individuals' rights to privacy.

Furthermore, this data can be used to target voters with specific messages that can influence their voting behavior, often without their full awareness.

A clear example is the data scandal in Albania in April 2021, where the data of 910,000 voters was published, exposing information such as ID numbers and political preferences.

***

According to the latest statistics from Terra and Meta's Development Partner , significant changes were observed in the activity and engagement of the two main Albanian parties – the Socialist Party (SP) and the Democratic Party (DP) – on the social platforms Facebook and Instagram in the period February–March 2025.

In terms of the number of posts, the SP was more productive in content than the DP during March 2025.

Socialists posted more on both Facebook and Instagram, outpacing Democrats in both February and March.

This indicates a more aggressive strategy of the SP on social networks, especially as the elections approach, while the DP has increased posts, but lags behind in volume.