Facebook: Our work with SNP helped them get landslide 2015 win

Facebook have told how they helped the SNP secure a landslide victory in the 2015 general election.

Facebook used the SNP as an example of a 'success story' on the platform. Picture: Facebook

The social media behemoth - which boasts over 2 billion active monthly users - said the nationalists reached 1.24 million people in Scotland by utilising the platform during their campaign which led to the party capturing 56 out of 59 Scottish seats at Westminster.

Posting on Facebook Business, the company hailed the SNP win as a “success story.”

Facebook said: “The political party (SNP) used a powerful combination of Facebook’s targeting and engagement tools to mobilise its supporters and achieve an overwhelming victory in the 2015 UK General Election.

“The party saw Facebook as a key tool to connect meaningfully with its grassroots supporters and to build the profile and reputation of its leader Nicola Sturgeon.”

Over the last decade the use of social media as a means to influence voting behaviour has made it indespensible for all serious political campaigns.

On election day alone, the SNP reached 416,485 people via Facebook.

The pervasiveness of the company in modern elections has not gone unnoticed and many, including former employees, have criticised the tech giant for working with political campaigns.

Former Facebook employee Elizabeth Linder, who helped set up the firm’s “global government and politics team division”, told Bloomberg: “It’s not Facebook’s job, in my opinion, to be so close to any election campaign.”

Ms Linder had originally been excited about the company’s potential to be “extraordinarily useful for the world’s leaders—but also the global citizenry.” She said she decided to leave the company in part because she grew uncomfortable with what she saw as increased emphasis on electioneering and campaigns.

An SNP spokesman said: “Social media is an increasingly important way to speak directly to voters.

“The SNP are determined to engage people across the country and digital campaigning is at the heart of our efforts.”