The Irish Times view on the abortion referendum: The shadow campaign
It is incumbent on all of us to talk with friends and family about what we are seeing online and whether it should be trusted

May 7, 2018

With less than three weeks to go to the referendum on repeal of the Eighth Amendment, concern has been expressed across the political spectrum about the potential impact of unregulated online advertising and of misleading information being disseminated via social media platforms.

Experience elsewhere suggests these digital campaigns are likely to increase in intensity as voting day approaches. Also that it will be impossible to gain a full picture of what is actually happening online before the vote takes place. The nature of targeted digital advertising, particularly on platforms such as Facebook, means certain messages will be restricted to specific demographic groups while remaining invisible to the rest of us.

Continued: https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/editorial/the-irish-times-view-on-the-abortion-referendum-the-shadow-campaign-1.3486827