The digital revolution is rewriting the rules of politics. From artificial intelligence (AI) to social media algorithms, technology now shapes how citizens get information, engage in debate, and even decide their votes.
It can make democracy stronger. It can also undermine it.
Globally, the story is mixed.
In Europe, strict rules like the GDPR and the proposed AI Act help ensure that technology works for democracy, not against it.
Election financing rules and limits on data collection mean campaigns are less likely to be hijacked by big money or hidden digital tricks.
In the United States, the picture is different. Technology has given campaigns powerful new tools. Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign used digital voter-tracking to great effect.
But weak regulation has also allowed abuse. Remember Cambridge Analytica? Millions of Facebook profiles were harvested to manipulate voters. American elections now often favor the candidate with the deepest pockets and the sharpest tech team, not necessarily the best ideas.
And then there’s surveillance.
AI-driven facial recognition and predictive policing are spreading in both the US and Europe. They promise safety but risk eroding freedoms. During COVID-19, governments expanded digital monitoring, raising fears of “digital authoritarianism.”
Add to this the echo chambers created by social media algorithms where people only see content that confirms their biases and you get a democracy at risk of being hollowed out.
Nigeria’s Turn
Now, Nigeria is entering the same storm. As election campaigns draw closer, technology is set to play a bigger role than ever before.
On the bright side, digital tools have empowered citizens. Social media gave us #EndSARS, where young Nigerians forced the nation to confront police brutality.
INEC’s adoption of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) has boosted transparency in elections, even if implementation still faces challenges.
But let’s not be naive.
The dark side is already here.
Misinformation spreads like wildfire on WhatsApp and Facebook. In 2023, false stories and doctored images circulated so widely that many voters didn’t know what to believe. With AI now able to create convincing “deep fakes,” the risk of manipulation in 2027 will be even higher.
Nigeria has also seen how fragile our digital freedoms are. The 2021 Twitter ban showed how quickly political interests can shut down online civic space. Imagine adding mass surveillance or AI-powered facial recognition to the mix—without proper safeguards, citizens could start self-censoring out of fear.
That’s not democracy. That’s digital authoritarianism in the making.
What We Must Do
The global lessons are clear. Europe shows us that strong regulation rules can keep democracy above business and political interests. The US warns us what happens when technology and money run wild without checks.
For Nigeria, three urgent steps stand out:
Regulate digital campaigning. We need clear rules to stop hidden political ads, microtargeting, and mass disinformation.
Build digital literacy. Citizens must learn to question, verify, and resist manipulation online.
Protect privacy and freedoms. Any use of AI or surveillance tech must come with strong safeguards.
The Bottom Line
Technology is not automatically good or bad. It’s a tool. It can give citizens more power—or strip them of it.
As Nigeria heads into another election season, the real question is whether we let technology serve democracy or let it undermine it.
If we choose the wrong path, we risk repeating America’s mistakes, where money and algorithms overshadow ideas. Worse still, we could slide into digital authoritarianism, where technology becomes a weapon against the people.
The time to act is now before the noise of campaigns drowns out the call to protect Nigeria’s democratic values.
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