Friday, December 2, 2022

9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Robertson Hall, Bowl 016

If you plan to attend in person, please register here.

With every election cycle, political campaigns become more and more reliant on online platforms to target voters. Yet, regulatory measures for campaigns have not kept pace with the rapid development of digital campaigning. The public is largely in the dark about the tactics campaigns use on platforms like TikTok, Google and Facebook to distribute their campaign messaging.

In this day-long symposium, we assemble experts to discuss what we know, what we don’t know, and what we should know about the extent of the influence online platforms have on elections.

We will discuss the strategies campaigns use to influence voters, including the use of internet influencers, and how we can develop mechanisms that promote democratic oversight of digital campaigns.

On the heels of the 2022 midterms, we seek to learn from recent elections and help us improve federal and state mechanisms for monitoring online campaigning in time for 2024.

Agenda

• Session 1 (9 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.): Understanding the Evolving Use of Online Platform Tools in Shaping Campaign Strategies

  Panelists:

• NaLette Brodnax, Georgetown University
• Solomon Messing, Independent
• Katie Harbath, Anchor Change (remote)
• Kevin Munger, Penn State University

• Moderator: Andy Guess, Princeton University

  Session 2 (10:30 a.m. -11:45 a.m.): Addressing the Challenges of Monitoring Campaign Activities Online

  Panelists:

• Christo Wilson, Northeastern (remote)
• Aleksandra Korolova, Princeton University (remote)
• Surya Mattu, Princeton University
• Silvia Kim, American University 
• Orestis Papakyriakopoulos, Sony AI (remote)

• Moderator: Rebecca Weiss, Princeton

  Lunch and Keynote (Noon to 1 p.m.)

  Keynote address Commissioner Weintraub at 12:30 p.m.

  Session 3: (1 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.): Understanding the Potential Harms of Digital Campaigns

  Panelists:

• Zhao Li, Princeton University
• Brandon Stewart, Princeton University
• Bridget Barrett, UNC Chapel Hill
• Eric Manning, Princeton University

• Moderator: Jonathan Mayer, Princeton University

  Session 4: (2:20 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.): Developing Regulatory Responses that Promote Oversight

  Panelists:

• Commissioner Ellen Weintraub
• Ian Vandewalker, Brennan Center
• Sean Flynn, Washington State Public Disclosure Commission

• Moderator: Mihir Kshirsagar, Princeton University

  Closing Reception 3:30 p.m.

Those who cannot participate in person may watch via our livestream.

This event is co-hosted by the Center for Information Technology Policy (CITP) and the Center for the Study of Democratic Politics (CSDP).