Situating the digital Influence Industry

Having defined the Influence Industry in the last chapter and outlined its core features and key terminology, this chapter documents the recent history of the transformation and rise of the global digital Influence Industry. It tracks the evolution of the private sector’s increasing and changing involvement in and environment for enabling influence. The chapter then describes different interrelationships between Influence Industry and state actors, media systems and private industry in five different key countries’ contexts. The authors give an example of the impact of the transformations we describe on one legacy industry, lobbying, and illustrate how technologies and coordinated interplays between interrelated systems have afforded new opportunities and risks. The chapter ends by emphasizing the need for greater understanding of the role played by industry in contemporary power relations and world events and makes a plea for transparency and accountability for its impact. The authors argue for proactive scholarly and policy engagement toward reforms that might incentivize and create a more responsible and ethical Influence Industry.