Counties Target Voters by 'Gangsta Rap'

Local election offices used Meta’s detailed‑targeting tags — including musical and cultural labels such as “Gangsta rap” and artist names — to direct taxpayer-funded get‑out‑the‑vote ads at audiences that correlate strongly with Democratic support. The campaigns in Riverside and San Diego also focused heavy ad spending on non‑English language groups; this activity was visible in Meta’s ad archive and appears to respond to prior litigation and settlement obligations. — Public agencies using platform cultural‑interest tags as proxies for protected or partisan demographics raises urgent questions about neutrality, transparency, and how platform tools reshape civic administration.