Guidelines for Observation of Election Campaigns on Social Networks

Online social networking sites have moved election campaigns into a new era of communication, in which voters have wider channels to express their opinions. While social networking sites provide space for voters to enhance their direct participation in campaigns and enable electoral contestants to better mobilize support, the use of social networks, especially during election campaigns, carries a wide array of challenges.

The aim of these Guidelines is to provide a framework, mainly for ODIHR election observers, to adequately assess the impact of the key aspects of online campaigning on the integrity of the election process and democratic conduct of election campaigns. These aspects include the online activities of electoral contestants, dissemination of specific types of content relevant to the election process, political and campaign advertising, and the protection of private data.