Gender-based discrepancies in the algorithmic delivery of political ads on social media

2026-06-09

AI Summary

This study addresses systemic gender bias in social media algorithms used for political advertising, which undermines voters’ right to information and equitable political participation. Analyzing over 110,000 political ads and 7 billion impressions across 25 EU countries during the 2024 European Parliament elections, this work provides the first large-scale empirical evidence from a real-world electoral context that populist and far-right parties disproportionately target male users, with male audience shares averaging six percentage points higher than expected. Employing ad monitoring, statistical modeling, and causal inference techniques—and controlling for ad content, platform competition, and targeting strategies—the study quantifies how algorithmic mechanisms constrain parties’ ability to reach diverse demographics, potentially exacerbating political polarization and gender disparities in electoral engagement.

Abstract

Social media has become a key channel for political advertising during election campaigns. However, algorithmic biases in the delivery of these ads may distort the public's exposure to political messaging. This can hinder citizens' ability to make informed choices and undermine equal access to political discourse, raising concerns about the integrity of electoral processes. In this study, we examine gender-based discrimination in the delivery of political ads during the 2024 European Parliament elections. Using a large-scale dataset of over 110000 ads from 453 political parties and 968 candidates that generated over 7 billion impressions across 25 EU countries, we find that men were significantly more likely to be shown ads from populist and far-right parties than women -- even after accounting for ad content, platform-level competition, and targeting strategies. All else equal, ads by populist parties reach, on average, a 6 percentage point higher male share. Such imbalances restrict the ability of parties to reach diverse audiences and prevent voters from engaging equally with the full range of political viewpoints. This pattern is particularly concerning given that far-right and populist ads may reinforce political polarization and widen existing gender gaps in political engagement. Our findings underscore the need for platforms and policymakers to audit algorithmic ad delivery in political campaigns on social media and to implement safeguards that ensure fairness and protect democratic processes.

Problem

• algorithmic bias
• political advertising
• gender discrimination
• social media
• electoral integrity

Innovation

• algorithmic bias
• political advertising
• gender discrimination
• social media
• electoral integrity