Political parties globally spend millions to manipulate public opinion online, says report

More than £43m (€48.1m) has been spent on contractors since 2009, producing ever-more professionalised misinformation on an “industrial scale”, the report claims.

Researchers say 48 countries, including the UK, were found to use third-party companies to manage propaganda campaigns in 2020. Picture: Tim Goode/PA

Private companies are increasingly being hired by governments and political parties to manipulate public opinion through social media, according to new research.

The Oxford Internet Institute (OII) – part of the University of Oxford – found evidence of 48 countries, including the UK, paying third-party firms to manage propaganda campaigns in 2020, almost double the number uncovered in the previous year.