Rupert Murdoch’s MySpace has just announced “plans to hold their own Presidential primary. The social networking giant will hold virtual elections on January 1 and 2, 2008.” [via Webpronews]. Here’s what Fox Interactive execs said: “The MySpace community will give America its first Presidential primary winner in 2008,” said Chris DeWolfe, CEO of MySpace. Tom Anderson, MySpace president was quoted saying “Iowa and New Hampshire may be selecting delegates, but the MySpace vote will be the first test of where candidates stand in the election year.”
Will this be a truly secret ballot? Or will MySpace’s extensive data collection system merely add our presidential preferences to what it calls its “digital gold“—our data files? Supporters of online campaigning must do a better job raising the ethical and policy issues. Otherwise they will end up with an interactive election system which does not truly reflect the Internet’s democratic potential.
