AI, fake accounts and advertising: the gray areas of the digital election campaign

The 2026 legislative election campaign has confirmed the shift of the political confrontation towards digital platforms. According to a report from the Moroccan Observatory of Media and Digital Watch, this evolution has been accompanied by an increase in advertising spending, a growing use of artificial intelligence, and a predominance of image communication over substantive debate. The Moroccan electoral battle is now also played on screens. During the 2026 legislative elections, political parties made social media a central arena for their campaign, relegating physical gatherings and in-depth discussions on programs to the background. This is one of the main findings of the report by the Moroccan Observatory of Media and Digital Watch, entitled "Digital Observation and Monitoring of the 2026 Legislative Elections," which Hespress FR consulted a copy of. This evolution marks a change from the 2021 election. At that time, restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic had forced political parties to favor digital spaces, as electoral gatherings were limited. In 2026, the use of these platforms is more about a conscious strategic choice, according to the report's authors. This trend has been particularly reflected in an increase in spending on online advertising. The party that invested the most in digital ads spent nearly $836,000, compared to $206,000 in 2021, an amount multiplied by approximately four. The report thus points to a significant progression of digital investments during the campaign. The extent of the phenomenon is also apparent in the volume of sponsored content. In just eleven days, 538 financed political advertisements were recorded on Facebook and Instagram benefiting seven parties. In parallel, some parties used artificial intelligence tools to produce images, videos, and digital characters, without explicitly disclosing, in most cases, that this content had been generated by these technologies. Audience does not guarantee engagement The number of followers on social media is not necessarily an indicator of the political influence exercised online. The data collected by the Observatory illustrates the gap between the size of the parties' digital communities and their ability to generate interaction. On Facebook, the National Rally of Independents (RNI) is leading in the number of followers, with 1.4 million people. It is followed by the Justice and Development Party (PJD), which has 1.2 million, and then the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), with 562,000 followers. However, the ranking reverses when the analysis focuses on the interactions generated by the published content. The PAM is in first place with more than 390,000 interactions, ahead of the PJD, which totals 336,268. The RNI comes in last among these three parties, with approximately 177,500 interactions. These figures highlight the limitations of a digital strategy based solely on accumulating followers. A party's visibility does not automatically translate into an equal mobilization of its audience, and digital popularity is not sufficient on its own to measure the reach of political discourse. Less differentiated programs, more visible confrontations Beyond audience indicators, the report emphasizes the strong proximity of the electoral promises made by the parties, particularly on purchasing power, employment, and social services. This convergence contrasts with the weakness of direct comparisons between programs, which would have allowed voters to more clearly evaluate the proposals of the different parties. The Observatory also points out several phenomena likely to weaken the quality of democratic debate. Conflicts, accusations, and information leaks have occupied an important place in online exchanges. At the same time, personal notoriety has progressively emerged as an electoral resource, sometimes to the detriment of highlighting political projects. The use of artificial intelligence without explicit indication of its use constitutes another source of concern. The report also mentions the presence of fake accounts and misleading content, as well as the confusion between the powers of Parliament and those of local authorities in certain promises made to voters. This last practice raises the question of the precision of campaign commitments. By associating a promise with an institution that does not necessarily have the required competencies to realize it, parties risk blurring the understanding of public responsibilities and the real possibilities for implementing their proposals. For greater transparency in the digital campaign In light of these findings, the Moroccan Observatory of Media and Digital Watch formulates several recommendations to improve the quality of political debate online. It particularly advocates for organizing debates that allow for the confrontation of party programs under conditions of transparency, in order to give more space to substantive proposals. The report also calls for strengthening transparency regarding the funding sources of political advertisements disseminated on digital platforms. It recommends that parties explicitly disclose the use of artificial intelligence technologies in the production of their content, so that voters can identify their nature. Furthermore, the Observatory insists on the need to link electoral promises to the institutions actually authorized to implement them. These commitments should specify the execution deadlines and necessary funding, to allow for a more rigorous evaluation of their feasibility. Finally, the report advocates that the digital monitoring of campaigns should not be limited to a punctual observation of election periods. It recommends making it a continuous scientific practice, likely to contribute to a better understanding of online political dynamics and, more broadly, to the improvement of the quality of democratic practice in Morocco.