Study finds growing government use of sensitive data to ‘nudge’ behaviour

Exclusive: National and local governments using targeted ads on search engines and social media

A new form of influence government", which uses sensitive personal data to craft campaigns aimed at altering behaviour has been supercharged" by the rise of big tech firms, researchers have warned.

National and local governments have turned to targeted advertisements on search engines and social media platforms to try to nudge" the behaviour of the country at large, the academics found.