The Use of Big Data in Political Communication

The digital footprints left behind on social media platforms, search engines and discussion forums contribute to Big Data knowing more about you than you know yourself. Governments, companies and political campaigns are mining this data across platforms to better target and engage their audiences. Combined with statistical tools, it is possible to pinpoint and accurately predict the behavioural patterns of individuals and voters. How can you use Big Data to your advantage and what are the ethical issues in regards to its collection and usage?