I think the difference is the sheer amount of personal data. In the era of the Tsars they tightly controlled what was reported in newspapers about war efforts e

I think the difference is the sheer amount of personal data. In the era of the Tsars they tightly controlled what was reported in newspapers about war efforts etc, but that had nothing to do with everyday citizens. These days, Facebook holds an enormous about of information about all of us, and lets advertisers (including political ones) use it. A company like Cambridge Analytica could show me an ad saying "Candidate X supports position Y!", knowing that I too support Y. It could then show my neighbor, who is against Y, an ad saying "Candidate X is against Y". And if there's no oversight no one would be any the wiser. That feels significant to me, even if it is a progression of existing trends.