Is political microtargeting a threat to democracy?

Microtargeting allows political players to send tailored messages to citizens in order to influence them. This could explain the successful Leave campaign in the UK, not to mention the surprising election of Donald Trump. But what about the Netherlands? UvA communication scientist Tom Dobber decided to investigate. Political microtargeting (PMT) is a relatively new technique that uses citizens' personal data to create tailored messages. For example, a nurse will be shown an advertisement in which a political party promises to ensure good healthcare, whereas a teacher will receive messages on matters relating to education. Microtargeting makes messages more relevant to the recipient and thus increases the likelihood of winning them over. UvA communication scientist Tom Dobber investigated PMT in the Netherlands. He concludes that political parties in the Netherlands also use PMT and that it can be effective, but whether it forms a potential threat to democracy depends primarily on the players who are using it. Brexit and Donald Trump. Two well-known examples of microtargeting being presented in a particularly negative light in the news were the surprisingly successful Leave campaign in the UK, leading to Brexit, and the unexpected election of Donald Trump as president of the United States. In both cases, political microtargeting was quickly identified as the cause. These two events led UvA communication scientist Tom Dobber to examine the role and effects of PMT in the Netherlands. 'We barely knew anything about PMT and mainly regarded it as a very American phenomenon. However, does PMT also play a role in the Netherlands where political parties have much smaller campaign budgets, there are different privacy laws and the electoral and party systems are also very different?' Dobber wondered. How does political microtargeting work?