Letter from Nikkei Asia's editor: India's Instagrab

Hello from Tokyo. 2024 is a big election year around the world, and if one thing is clear, it is that the internet has become a major battleground for getting votes. When the debate over whether to use the web in elections began raging in Japan in the early 2000s, the initial reaction was that adding an online dimension would give the opposition parties an advantage by enabling them to reach out directly to voters, especially young people, even if they were less well-funded.

That's why the ruling party basically tried to limit the use of the internet as much as possible for elections. This logic also explains why Japan still bans door-to-door canvassing during election periods -- mainly to prevent opposition parties with many grassroots campaigners, such as the Japanese Communist Party, from gaining any kind of edge.

However, the general understanding now is that the ruling forces are the ones who can best leverage the power of the internet. With their deeper pockets, they can spend huge amounts of money to control the flow of information and thus sway the outcome of elections in their favor. This week's Big Story looks at the ongoing vote in India, the world's largest democracy, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party is weaponizing social media influencers.

Technology is always advancing ahead of our imaginations. With generative artificial intelligence, influencers may soon not be needed at all. Avatars of prime ministers or celebrities will be able to speak directly to voters. While these technological advances may greatly improve our work efficiency, we need to be careful about how they affect universal values, including democracy.

The Business Spotlight feature in this week's magazine explains the