Paul Deutschmann, Data-driven political campaigns in West Africa: the use of political micro targeting strategies in elections in Senegal and Ivory Coast (2018-2022)

Paul Deutschmann is interested in the growing use of digital electoral technologies in West African election campaigns. His PhD is a comparative study between Senegal and Ivory Coast, two countries where these new practices have been actively used in recent elections. This research investigates the implementation of these new political practices largely imported from American and European electoral campaigns and which mobilizes a multitude of local and international actors (political parties, international communication firms, electoral experts, data analysts, etc). Beyond the impact of the new practises on electoral campaings, this ressearch examines their mining for democratic exercice more broadly in Senegal and Ivory Coast.