The societal and epistemological implications of online targeted advertising have been scrutinized by AI ethicists, legal scholars, and policymakers alike. However, the government's use of online targeting and its consequential socio-political ramifications remain under-explored from a critical socio-technical standpoint. This paper investigates the socio-political implications of governmental online targeting, using a case study of the UK government's application of such techniques for public policy objectives. We argue that this practice undermines democratic ideals, as it engenders three primary concerns -- Transparency, Privacy, and Equality -- that clash with fundamental democratic doctrines and values. To address these concerns, the paper introduces a preliminary blueprint for an AI governance framework that harmonizes governmental use of online targeting with certain democratic principles. Furthermore, we advocate for the creation of an independent, non-governmental regulatory body responsible for overseeing the process and monitoring the government's use of online targeting, a critical measure for preserving democratic values.

翻译：在线定向广告的社会与认知论影响已受到人工智能伦理学家、法律学者及政策制定者的审视。然而，从批判性社会技术视角来看，政府对在线定向技术的应用及其社会政治后果仍未得到充分探讨。本文以英国政府将此类技术应用于公共政策目标为案例，研究政府实施在线定向的社会政治影响。我们认为，这一实践削弱了民主理想，因其引发三大核心关切——透明度、隐私与平等——这些关切与基本民主原则及价值观相冲突。为应对这些挑战，本文提出一项人工智能治理框架的初步蓝图，旨在协调政府使用在线定向与特定民主原则的关系。此外，我们主张成立独立于政府部门的监管机构，负责监督政府在线定向流程并实施监测——这是维护民主价值观的关键举措。