Fabio Votta📊🐧
@favstats.eu
Computational Communication Scientist #rstats | Postdoc Researcher | University of Amsterdam | @ascor.bsky.social | @algosoc.org | Blog: favstats.eu | Running on plant-based fuel 🌱 | he/him
🚨 New CampAIgn Tracker + Hiring 3 Research Assistants! 🚨
Together w/ @meinungsfuehrer.bsky.social & colleagues at UvA (@claesdevreese.bsky.social @teresaelena.bsky.social, @nickmattis.bsky.social, @philippdarius.bsky.social), we’re launching a project on GenAI in the 2026 Dutch local elections 🇳🇱
Together w/ @meinungsfuehrer.bsky.social & colleagues at UvA (@claesdevreese.bsky.social @teresaelena.bsky.social, @nickmattis.bsky.social, @philippdarius.bsky.social), we’re launching a project on GenAI in the 2026 Dutch local elections 🇳🇱
January 7, 2026 at 4:51 PM
🚨 New CampAIgn Tracker + Hiring 3 Research Assistants! 🚨
Together w/ @meinungsfuehrer.bsky.social & colleagues at UvA (@claesdevreese.bsky.social @teresaelena.bsky.social, @nickmattis.bsky.social, @philippdarius.bsky.social), we’re launching a project on GenAI in the 2026 Dutch local elections 🇳🇱
Together w/ @meinungsfuehrer.bsky.social & colleagues at UvA (@claesdevreese.bsky.social @teresaelena.bsky.social, @nickmattis.bsky.social, @philippdarius.bsky.social), we’re launching a project on GenAI in the 2026 Dutch local elections 🇳🇱
In the new year, political ads on Google and Meta continue to run in the EU despite both platforms having policies that supposedly ban them.
The rules are so badly enforced that official political party accounts (even self-labeled with the category "political party") can run ads without problems.
The rules are so badly enforced that official political party accounts (even self-labeled with the category "political party") can run ads without problems.
January 3, 2026 at 11:22 AM
In the new year, political ads on Google and Meta continue to run in the EU despite both platforms having policies that supposedly ban them.
The rules are so badly enforced that official political party accounts (even self-labeled with the category "political party") can run ads without problems.
The rules are so badly enforced that official political party accounts (even self-labeled with the category "political party") can run ads without problems.
Also with those ads the DHS is heavily racially profiling the Latino community specifically as I wrote about in a blog post last year:
www.favstats.eu/post/dhs/
www.favstats.eu/post/dhs/
January 2, 2026 at 1:03 PM
Also with those ads the DHS is heavily racially profiling the Latino community specifically as I wrote about in a blog post last year:
www.favstats.eu/post/dhs/
www.favstats.eu/post/dhs/
Pokémon or Pill? 💊 I made a silly little game where you guess if a name is a Pokémon or a pharmaceutical drug. Can be harder than you'd think 🙂 Maybe something to challenge your family and friends with over the holidays?
pokepill.net
pokepill.net
December 27, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Pokémon or Pill? 💊 I made a silly little game where you guess if a name is a Pokémon or a pharmaceutical drug. Can be harder than you'd think 🙂 Maybe something to challenge your family and friends with over the holidays?
pokepill.net
pokepill.net
Last summer I was knocked out with Covid and some friends and I cooked up an AI powered online party-game idea and you can now play it too!
🎰 Prompt Roulette 🎰
You copy-paste a prompt into an LLM, it generates a game, and your job is to beat it. Try it out here:
favstats.github.io/prompt_roule...
🎰 Prompt Roulette 🎰
You copy-paste a prompt into an LLM, it generates a game, and your job is to beat it. Try it out here:
favstats.github.io/prompt_roule...
December 14, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Last summer I was knocked out with Covid and some friends and I cooked up an AI powered online party-game idea and you can now play it too!
🎰 Prompt Roulette 🎰
You copy-paste a prompt into an LLM, it generates a game, and your job is to beat it. Try it out here:
favstats.github.io/prompt_roule...
🎰 Prompt Roulette 🎰
You copy-paste a prompt into an LLM, it generates a game, and your job is to beat it. Try it out here:
favstats.github.io/prompt_roule...
December 12, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Ok, I understand the point but also I do not see any reference to *actual* ads being bought? Obviously, using auto-translate here so maybe I am missing something but it seems to strongly suggest that the buying of ads isn't just hypothetical but something they are doing?
November 26, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Ok, I understand the point but also I do not see any reference to *actual* ads being bought? Obviously, using auto-translate here so maybe I am missing something but it seems to strongly suggest that the buying of ads isn't just hypothetical but something they are doing?
In an ironic twist, an ad I could find is a Moderaterna politician attacking the social democrats over this (a political ad that should be banned :D)
November 26, 2025 at 7:44 AM
In an ironic twist, an ad I could find is a Moderaterna politician attacking the social democrats over this (a political ad that should be banned :D)
Meta’s “political ad ban” in action: a Nazi ad calling for protest & Nazi symbols is classified as not political & still running (has been for days).
The consequences of the self-imposed ban were clear from the start: bad actors continue, Meta profits, and those following the rules are punished.
The consequences of the self-imposed ban were clear from the start: bad actors continue, Meta profits, and those following the rules are punished.
November 25, 2025 at 10:15 AM
Meta’s “political ad ban” in action: a Nazi ad calling for protest & Nazi symbols is classified as not political & still running (has been for days).
The consequences of the self-imposed ban were clear from the start: bad actors continue, Meta profits, and those following the rules are punished.
The consequences of the self-imposed ban were clear from the start: bad actors continue, Meta profits, and those following the rules are punished.
"No" Ned said with sadness in his voice. "Now it ends.'
November 5, 2025 at 6:40 AM
"No" Ned said with sadness in his voice. "Now it ends.'
October 31, 2025 at 8:14 AM
I have always exaggerated with dashboards, but this 🇳🇱 Dutch election campaign I did not make 1, I did not make 2, but I made 3 dashboards 😅
1. tracking the use of AI (campaigntracker.nl/en)
2. tracking campaign spending (lnkd.in/eUKgeV9V)
3. tracking targeting on Meta (lnkd.in/eXrp454E)
#tk2025
1. tracking the use of AI (campaigntracker.nl/en)
2. tracking campaign spending (lnkd.in/eUKgeV9V)
3. tracking targeting on Meta (lnkd.in/eXrp454E)
#tk2025
October 29, 2025 at 12:08 PM
I have always exaggerated with dashboards, but this 🇳🇱 Dutch election campaign I did not make 1, I did not make 2, but I made 3 dashboards 😅
1. tracking the use of AI (campaigntracker.nl/en)
2. tracking campaign spending (lnkd.in/eUKgeV9V)
3. tracking targeting on Meta (lnkd.in/eXrp454E)
#tk2025
1. tracking the use of AI (campaigntracker.nl/en)
2. tracking campaign spending (lnkd.in/eUKgeV9V)
3. tracking targeting on Meta (lnkd.in/eXrp454E)
#tk2025
🚨 CampAIgn Tracker Update: we now identify 584 AI posts found in our campaign monitoring. 60% from far-right accounts, mainly PVV MPs' "Geen Aangifte" page (now, ironically, facing charges). We find: AI was more succesful on Facebook but flopped elsewhere. #tk2025
🇬🇧: campaigntracker.nl/en
🇬🇧: campaigntracker.nl/en
October 29, 2025 at 9:50 AM
🚨 CampAIgn Tracker Update: we now identify 584 AI posts found in our campaign monitoring. 60% from far-right accounts, mainly PVV MPs' "Geen Aangifte" page (now, ironically, facing charges). We find: AI was more succesful on Facebook but flopped elsewhere. #tk2025
🇬🇧: campaigntracker.nl/en
🇬🇧: campaigntracker.nl/en
Guess who is on national TV tonight
October 27, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Guess who is on national TV tonight
I think this Facebook page is a terrifying case study in how gen AI slop has enabled the creation of an automated hate machine, churning out endless caricatures of made-up enemies, immigrants and politicians, optimized for engagement. In many ways, it embodied the very nightmare many of us feared.
October 27, 2025 at 7:59 AM
I think this Facebook page is a terrifying case study in how gen AI slop has enabled the creation of an automated hate machine, churning out endless caricatures of made-up enemies, immigrants and politicians, optimized for engagement. In many ways, it embodied the very nightmare many of us feared.
The Facebook page behind these images was the most active spreader of political AI content, posting multiple times a day and becoming the most engaged-with pages on Facebook among all those we track. Even surpassing Geert Wilders in total engagement during October. The page has now been deleted.
October 27, 2025 at 7:32 AM
The Facebook page behind these images was the most active spreader of political AI content, posting multiple times a day and becoming the most engaged-with pages on Facebook among all those we track. Even surpassing Geert Wilders in total engagement during October. The page has now been deleted.
In conclusion, while AI use in politics remains limited, smaller parties, right-leaning, and satirical networks lead adoption. Importantly, the lack of transparency labels & use of deepfakes do raise concerns about voter manipulation.
See more:
🇬🇧 campaigntracker.nl/en
🇳🇱 campaigntracker.nl
#tk2025
See more:
🇬🇧 campaigntracker.nl/en
🇳🇱 campaigntracker.nl
#tk2025
October 23, 2025 at 9:36 AM
In conclusion, while AI use in politics remains limited, smaller parties, right-leaning, and satirical networks lead adoption. Importantly, the lack of transparency labels & use of deepfakes do raise concerns about voter manipulation.
See more:
🇬🇧 campaigntracker.nl/en
🇳🇱 campaigntracker.nl
#tk2025
See more:
🇬🇧 campaigntracker.nl/en
🇳🇱 campaigntracker.nl
#tk2025
Ordinary people appear most often in AI content (239 posts). Politicians are also deepfaked: especially Geert Wilders, mostly shown in a positive light.
Parties and politicians in general use AI mainly for positive posts and GOTV purposes, while other actors use it negatively, often on migration.
Parties and politicians in general use AI mainly for positive posts and GOTV purposes, while other actors use it negatively, often on migration.
October 23, 2025 at 9:36 AM
Ordinary people appear most often in AI content (239 posts). Politicians are also deepfaked: especially Geert Wilders, mostly shown in a positive light.
Parties and politicians in general use AI mainly for positive posts and GOTV purposes, while other actors use it negatively, often on migration.
Parties and politicians in general use AI mainly for positive posts and GOTV purposes, while other actors use it negatively, often on migration.
We found 404 AI-generated visuals (~2% of posts). Pro-right (party) accounts make up the largest share, with PVV-linked accounts leading (120).
Small parties like Vrede voor Dieren (18%), 50PLUS (17%) also use AI more often.
Worryingly, 61% lack proper labeling and are not identified as AI.
Small parties like Vrede voor Dieren (18%), 50PLUS (17%) also use AI more often.
Worryingly, 61% lack proper labeling and are not identified as AI.
October 23, 2025 at 9:36 AM
We found 404 AI-generated visuals (~2% of posts). Pro-right (party) accounts make up the largest share, with PVV-linked accounts leading (120).
Small parties like Vrede voor Dieren (18%), 50PLUS (17%) also use AI more often.
Worryingly, 61% lack proper labeling and are not identified as AI.
Small parties like Vrede voor Dieren (18%), 50PLUS (17%) also use AI more often.
Worryingly, 61% lack proper labeling and are not identified as AI.
🤖 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐈 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐃𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐀𝐈𝐠𝐧 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫 🇳🇱
Less than one week before the Dutch elections, @meinungsfuehrer.bsky.social & I looked at over 20k posts to reveal patterns in the usage of AI-generated visuals across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X. #tk2025
🧵Thread
Less than one week before the Dutch elections, @meinungsfuehrer.bsky.social & I looked at over 20k posts to reveal patterns in the usage of AI-generated visuals across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X. #tk2025
🧵Thread
October 23, 2025 at 9:36 AM
🤖 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐈 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐃𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐀𝐈𝐠𝐧 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫 🇳🇱
Less than one week before the Dutch elections, @meinungsfuehrer.bsky.social & I looked at over 20k posts to reveal patterns in the usage of AI-generated visuals across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X. #tk2025
🧵Thread
Less than one week before the Dutch elections, @meinungsfuehrer.bsky.social & I looked at over 20k posts to reveal patterns in the usage of AI-generated visuals across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X. #tk2025
🧵Thread
It's probably supposed to be AI-generated Pim Fortuyn but looks like Jeff Bezos to me.
October 14, 2025 at 6:11 AM
It's probably supposed to be AI-generated Pim Fortuyn but looks like Jeff Bezos to me.
If you ever wanted to delve into the AI-generated world of far-right imagination.. now you can.
See our CampAIgn Tracker 🇳🇱 here:
www.campaigntracker.nl/en/
#tk2025
See our CampAIgn Tracker 🇳🇱 here:
www.campaigntracker.nl/en/
#tk2025
October 11, 2025 at 9:08 AM
If you ever wanted to delve into the AI-generated world of far-right imagination.. now you can.
See our CampAIgn Tracker 🇳🇱 here:
www.campaigntracker.nl/en/
#tk2025
See our CampAIgn Tracker 🇳🇱 here:
www.campaigntracker.nl/en/
#tk2025
🚀 And this marks our launch of the CampAIgn Tracker 🇳🇱!
@meinungsfuehrer.bsky.social and I are glad to finally publish our dashboard where we monitor the use of AI imagery in campaign messages, by parties, politicians & other actors during the election #tk2025
See here
www.campaigntracker.nl/en/
@meinungsfuehrer.bsky.social and I are glad to finally publish our dashboard where we monitor the use of AI imagery in campaign messages, by parties, politicians & other actors during the election #tk2025
See here
www.campaigntracker.nl/en/
October 11, 2025 at 8:39 AM
🚀 And this marks our launch of the CampAIgn Tracker 🇳🇱!
@meinungsfuehrer.bsky.social and I are glad to finally publish our dashboard where we monitor the use of AI imagery in campaign messages, by parties, politicians & other actors during the election #tk2025
See here
www.campaigntracker.nl/en/
@meinungsfuehrer.bsky.social and I are glad to finally publish our dashboard where we monitor the use of AI imagery in campaign messages, by parties, politicians & other actors during the election #tk2025
See here
www.campaigntracker.nl/en/