Digital Manipulation: How Technology Shapes Consumer Perception

The advancements in digital transformation, artificial intelligence, big data, and emerging algorithmic precision have significantly transformed the business practices, particularly how consumers perceive brands, products, and services experiences. With the growing trend of AI in diverse sectors, the unethical use of AI-driven technology has grown significantly. From personalised advertisements to deepfake content, digital manipulation techniques are mushrooming. The marketers apply various algorithms to alter brand messages, story content, images and videos to evoke emotions, and subtle inference consumer psychology through these innovations, enhancing marketing effectiveness in terms of engagement, connection, and building relationships. However, as they raise ethical concerns towards transparency, false information, and most importantly consumer autonomy, the increasing precision with the use of AI also raises one of the important concerns about privacy invasion, manipulative targeting, and the erosion of consumer autonomy; this chapter explores how digital manipulations shape consumer perception and influence decision-making and behaviour.