Regulating digital campaign and electoral integrity in Asia

Like the rest of the world, data-driven campaign and AI-generated content are gaining prominence in elections in Asia. Political parties, candidates and malicious actors are engaged in digital content manipulation that include propaganda, fake news, paid influencers, troll armies, bots, and hijacking of social media accounts. The number of actors and ways which computer malware, Denial of Service Attacks (DDOs) and AI to generate "deep fakes" and disrupt communications are growing. Yet, governments and electoral management bodies lag behind in their responses to ensure level playing field and compliance during the election cycle. This paper traces the ways which digital campaign has changed since 2016, the key threats and regulatory efforts in ten countries in East and Southeast Asia (Tan, 2020, Tan and Denyer 2023). Building on the extant literature on algorithmic governance and digital authoritarianism, this study offers a typology to compare the range of regulatory responses from electoral commission bodies, governments, digital platforms and international bodies such as the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism (G7 RRM) to address the disruptive effects of data-driven campaign and disinformation. Based on an in-depth case analysis of four recent national and presidential elections in Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan and Indonesia, this paper will identify the internal and external sources of threats to digital campaign, especially via social media platforms and their effects on electoral integrity, pre and during the campaign period. It cautions against bureaucratic, top-down solutions and suggests a mix of "reflexive", "soft laws" to develop best electoral practices and voter confidence in digital campaign. References: Tan, Netina. 2020. "Electoral Management of Digital Campaigns and Disinformation in East and Southeast Asia." Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy 19 (2): 214–39. https://doi.org/10.1089/elj.2019.0599. Tan, Netina, and Kharis Templeman, eds. 2023. Electoral Malpractice in Asia: Bending the Rules. 1st ed. U.S.: Lynne Rienner. https://www.rienner.com/title/Electoral_Malpractice_in_Asia. Tan, Netina, and Rebecca Denyer. 2023. "Regulating Online Pandemic Falsehoods: Practices and Interventions in Southeast Asia." In Mobile Communication and Online Falsehoods in Asia: Trends, Impact and Practice, edited by Carol Soon, 227–48. Mobile Communication in Asia: Local Insights, Global Implications. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-2225-2. Marchant, Gary E., and Brad Allenby. 2017. "Soft Law: New Tools for Governing Emerging Technologies." Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 73 (2): 108–14. DeNardis, L., and A.M. Hackl. 2015. "Internet Governance by Social Media Platforms." Telecommunications Policy 39 (9): 761–70.