Social media platforms pose a threat to the nation state

It is a platitude that the results of the 2019 general elections will be significantly shaped by how effectively political parties use social media campaigns. India is estimated to have 339 million smartphone users and over one billion active mobile subscriptions. The sheer reach of mobile telephony, exponential rise of cheap data services and the proliferation of social media applications riding on such services has made this a fait accompli. But influencing elections is only the thin end of the wedge. The rise of social media portends a larger remaking of the relationship between the nation state comprising citizens, and large, global, private technological behemoths creating communities based on interest and efficiency.