Leiden University Student Repository

Clarke, Joseph David (2018)

Voter manipulation: Why psychological profiling can violate autonomy, and how privacy paternalism can help

Master thesis | Philosophy (MA) (60 EC)

Many modern political campaigns use psychological profiling in order to influence voting decisions. I argue that this practice threatens the autonomy of voters. In doing so, I develop a theoretical account of autonomy. In order to protect voters from psychological profiling, I suggest a form of “privacy paternalism,” which prevents people from acquiescing to the trade and aggregation of their personal data. My thesis involves two separate claims. The first is that psychological profiling is capable of violating autonomy. The second is that, because psychological profiling can violate autonomy, it should be outlawed.

Voting

Manipulation

Privacy

Autonomy

Paternalism

Author

Clarke, Joseph David

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

PPE

Supervisors

Mokrosinska, Dorota

ECTS Credits

20

Language

en