Unmasking Covert Influence: Study Reveals Inflammatory Role of Political Influencers in 2022 Philippine Elections"

Covert political influencers played a pivotal role in the 2022 Philippine elections by leveraging inflammatory speech to attack candidates, reveals a recent disinformation study titled "Political Economy of Covert Influence Operations in the 2022 Philippine Elections." The study estimates a substantial expenditure of at least P600 million to P1.5 billion on these influencers, whose expenses often evade official campaign declarations due to regulatory gaps.

Authored by Filipino scholars and funded by Internews, the study sheds light on the novel realm of covert influence operations in politics. It defines these operations as strategic communications aimed at capturing attention, mobilizing audiences, and swaying electoral outcomes.

Notably, the research distinguishes between political and commercial influencers, highlighting that political influencers hold unique value for their ability to attack rivals through inflammatory content. They negotiate higher rates based on their notoriety and skill in deploying hate speech.

The study approximates that around 1,425 influencer accounts on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and Twitter engaged in covert political campaigning. Estimated spending by top candidates for influence operations ranged from P600 million