What is an online political advert? An interrogation of conceptual challenges in the formation of digital policy response

Despite British and European policymakers' quest to regulate online political advertising, it is not clear what exactly constitutes an online political advert. As with many areas of digital governance, it is therefore necessary to impose definitional criteria, yet the process of doing so is by no means straightforward. Using qualitative interviews, we set out to clarify alternative routes for definition by distilling policymakers' understanding of what it means for a piece of content to be an “advert,” “online,” and “political.” Presenting a series of decision trees that trace policymakers' ideas, we reveal different traits that could be used to create a definition. In addition, we use our interviews to offer insight into the policymaking approach needed when defining complex and contested digital phenomena. Given the array of possible definitional approaches, we argue that policymakers will find it valuable to adopt an argumentative and communicative approach if efforts to gain consensus are to succeed. This article accordingly provides a practical tool for future attempts to define online political advertising, and casts light on the strategies policymakers may use when seeking to define and regulate complex digital phenomena.