Photo: AFP / Jam Sta. Rosa
Covert political influencers played a pivotal role in the 2022 Philippine elections by leveraging inflammatory speech to attack candidates, reveals a recent disinformation study titled “Political Economy of Covert Influence Operations in the 2022 Philippine Elections.” The study estimates a substantial expenditure of at least P600 million to P1.5 billion on these influencers, whose expenses often evade official campaign declarations due to regulatory gaps.
Authored by Filipino scholars and funded by Internews, the study sheds light on the novel realm of covert influence operations in politics. It defines these operations as strategic communications aimed at capturing attention, mobilizing audiences, and swaying electoral outcomes.
Notably, the research distinguishes between political and commercial influencers, highlighting that political influencers hold unique value for their ability to attack rivals through inflammatory content. They negotiate higher rates based on their notoriety and skill in deploying hate speech.
The study approximates that around 1,425 influencer accounts on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and Twitter engaged in covert political campaigning. Estimated spending by top candidates for influence operations ranged from P600 million to P1.5 billion, though these figures lack concrete quantitative data.
The research underscores a lack of transparency in political campaigns, as spending on discreet influence operations often exceeds declared amounts. Weak regulations create room for such activities in campaign budgets, while the opaque nature of political influencer contracts further exacerbates the issue.
To address these concerns, the study recommends expanding transparency measures, modifying campaign financial declarations to encompass a wider range of expenses, and implementing stronger mechanisms to hold political influencers accountable. Such reforms, including the registration of influencers as independent contractors and tax payment enforcement, aim to unveil the identities and activities of these covert political influencers.
