Facebook 'key marketing tool' ahead of general election

Facebook has emerged as a key marketing tool for the main political parties in the UK in the run-up to the general election taking place today (Thursday June 8th).
 
Estimates from Who Targets Me, a firm that is tracking targeted political ads, predict that around £1 million has been spent by both Labour and the Conservatives since the snap election was announced in April.
 
Facebook algorithms are using data such as links users have clicked, pages they have visited and content their friends are viewing to target certain sponsored adverts to their news feeds. The platform has been working closely with ex-political aides to make this strategy as effective as possible.
 
It means that some Facebook users never see particular ads, while others will see more from one political party than another. Analysts believe this could swing the vote, as is thought to have been the case for last year's EU referendum.
 
Speaking to Panorama, Leave.EU campaigner Gerry Gunster explained: "You can say to Facebook, I would like to make sure that I can micro-target fishermen in certain parts of the UK so that they are specifically hearing that if you vote to leave that you will be able to change the way that the regulations are set for the fishing industry."