Researchers: Smartphones help populists gain power

Smartphones and the proliferation of mobile internet have significantly fueled the rise of populism across Europe, according to research presented by economist Professor Sergei Guriev.

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Roughly half of the increase in populism in Europe can be linked to the increase in mobile internet.

Guriev, former chief economist at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and current rector of the London Business School, stated that "roughly half of the increase in populism in Europe can be linked to the increase in mobile internet." His research group has analyzed data since 2007, observing a strong correlation between the spread of mobile internet and increased populist voting shares.

Populist movements have historically adopted new communication technologies to bypass established institutions and reach voters. From the telegraph in the 19th-century United States to radio in Hitler's era, populists have adapted. Today, mobile broadband is the primary tool, enabling rapid and widespread dissemination of messages.

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Populists have in all times used the innovations of their time to bypass the establishment and reach out. In the young USA, it was the railway and the telegraph. Hitler used the radio. Today, mobile broadband is the thing.

Social media platforms, accessible via smartphones, offer several advantages for populist campaigns. These include low barriers to entry, the appearance of direct communication with the public, and a format that favors short, impactful, and often critical or inflammatory content. Guriev noted that while populists can sometimes highlight real problems, the technology also amplifies perceived elite missteps, leading to excessive criticism of established figures.

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We have collected data since 2007 and can show that about half of the increase in populism, measured as voting shares, can be attributed to the spread of mobile internet.