While the 2016 election was described as the “Facebook election” due to the increasing use of the social platform during election campaigns, TikTok became the preferred choice for the Harris and Trump campaigns as they sought to attract young voters, according to a report by the British Financial Times, which quoted Lara Cohen, head of the creative department at Linktree, which works on voter encouragement initiatives: “This election is a TikTok election.” She noted that campaigns realize that Millennials It is a demographic you must focus on to win, and that requires motivating them online.
Election campaigns have exploited careless internet culture, memes and slang on TikTok, while Facebook’s algorithm, owned by Mark Zuckerberg, has deliberately shifted away from political content, diminishing the reach of political content.
- TikTok’s algorithm, which presents users with an engaging collection of short video clips, provides an opportunity for campaigns to reach new audiences who may not generally seek out political content.
- The app’s designs allow different bubbles to interact with each other, helping users discover content outside their usual interests.
- Users used popular features like duetting and live streaming to discuss political issues.
- Some creators have also begun producing videos known as fancams, which include collages of photos or videos of the nominees with effects, a type of content typically produced to celebrate artists and actors.
- There has also been a phenomenon of TikTok users filming themselves filling out postal ballots to music.
The importance of TikTok
In this context, the Managing Director of IDT Consulting and Systems, Mohamed Saeed, says in special statements to the “Eqtisad Sky News Arabia” website:
TikTok campaigns are already influencing US election results.
- Of course, social media campaigns, whether for product marketing or political campaigns, have become more influential in recent years.
- These campaigns target broad age groups, especially young people who are affected by social media, specifically the application Tik Tok.
- Tik Tok has gained great popularity recently, and statistics indicate that the results of the recent elections witnessed a clear influence of social media, especially through Tik Tok in some countries.
- Tik Tok is one of the most popular platforms. Short videos are a very effective tool, targeting a huge audience.
- Despite reservations and security concerns about TikTok and its relationship with the Chinese government, it still maintains its influence among voters in the West.
He adds: Despite the campaigns that oppose TikTok, it greatly affects the election results. Candidates are aware of this effect, and we have seen them appear in short videos to spread their electoral messages. These intense messages, delivered within a few seconds, stick in voters’ minds, prompting candidates to focus on them.
Trump, for example, has become a pro at using these platforms recently. We saw him appear in a video dressed as McDonald’s workers to serve customers with the aim of conveying a specific political message. Therefore, this type of video has become an essential and influential part of election campaigns.
Competition between the two campaigns
Returning to the British newspaper’s report, it indicated that to boost Harris’s reach after she became the Democratic candidate in July, her campaign hired a group of young people with experience in popular music and popular editorial styles. They have produced various videos on issues such as abortion and climate change, along with Trump memes.
At the same time, the campaign sought to attract creators to the platform, inviting them to events at the White House and to the Democratic National Convention, in the hope that their messages would spread organically among their TikTok followers.
In contrast, the Trump campaign has presented more serious content, including disturbing music clips and bleak predictions about the economy and rising immigration under a Harris presidency.
According to the report, Harris’s strategy on TikTok is “ideal for any brand, let alone politicians,” while Trump’s strategy is considered “less compatible” with the nature of TikTok and closer to traditional election campaign material.
Although Harris’ account has 5 million followers, compared to Trump’s 12 million, her KamalaHQ account has 1.5 billion views compared to Trump’s 1 billion.
to retreat
However, Harris’ enthusiasm has declined in recent weeks, both in polls and on TikTok. Data from CredoIQ showed that conservative content became more popular than progressive content after the candidates debated in early October. Ben Dar, founder of CredoIQ, noted that the increase in pro-Trump content has contributed to this shift.
The Harris campaign’s digital operations unit consists of about 250 people, with a rapid response team of 15 young people, who track online trends in real time. The content goes through a light approval process, with an emphasis on trial and error.
Although Trump believes his social media campaign is “the greatest in history,” experts point out that there are fewer Republican politicians on TikTok, representing a missed opportunity for the party. As the elections approach, the ability of followers on TikTok to influence the results of the vote remains unclear, as some indicators indicate increased activity among young voters, according to the report.
Main role
The academic advisor at San Jose State University in California, Dr. Ahmed Banafa, said in exclusive statements to “Iqtisad Sky News Arabia” website:
- Social media plays an increasing role in election campaigns around the world, and TikTok is no exception to this equation, as it is used by 170 million Americans, most of whom are young people.
- In the United States, where elections rely heavily on reaching voters of all age groups, TikTok has become a key platform for candidates seeking to connect with a younger audience, especially those from Generation Z and Millennials.
- These groups, who may not be interested in following political news through traditional means, find TikTok an easy and quick way to learn about issues and candidates through attractive and visual content.
Banafa explained how TikTok campaigns affect the US elections, as follows:
- TikTok has particular appeal to young people, with users under 30 making up a large portion of its audience. This makes the platform an ideal way for political candidates to reach potential voters in this age group, which is often crucial to election outcomes. Through short videos and creative content, candidates can present their messages in a way that resonates with the interests of this generation.
- Unlike traditional media, platforms like TikTok allow direct interaction between candidates and voters. Users can create content about issues they care about, or post videos in support of a particular candidate. This community interaction enhances the sense of belonging and personal influence in the electoral process.
- Tik Tok is distinguished by its ability to make content “viral,” meaning it spreads widely and quickly. A single video can reach millions of users within a few hours, making political messages spread further and faster through audience interaction and reposting of videos.
In addition, the academic advisor at San Jose State University in California refutes the challenges and concerns in this context, explaining that: Despite these advantages, the use of TikTok in election campaigns raises many concerns, especially with regard to misleading information and manipulation of public opinion:
- As is the case with many social media platforms, TikTok is sometimes used to spread misinformation or opaque political propaganda. In previous elections, there were many cases of the circulation of fake news or edited videos aimed at influencing voters in a negative way. These challenges pose a real threat to healthy political debate and may mislead voters.
- Some parties may exploit the use of TikTok to spread hidden propaganda or influence public opinion in unethical ways. There are concerns that third parties or political groups may use technologies such as artificial intelligence or “bots” to spread fake content or promote certain issues.
- There is also growing concern about foreign actors influencing US elections via TikTok. Since the platform is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, there are concerns that the platform could be used for political purposes by third parties to influence the results.
The role of TikTok in shaping the election results
He stressed that given the great influence of TikTok on the young electorate and the rapid spread of content on it, its influence in the American elections cannot be underestimated. This is because election campaigns on TikTok are able to reach millions of voters quickly and in innovative ways that go beyond traditional methods. However, this impact depends on the extent to which the platform and stakeholders are able to control the spread of misinformation and ensure content transparency.
TikTok has become a major player in election campaigns, especially in the United States where the nature of political interaction is changing rapidly. If the platform is used responsibly, it can be a powerful way to promote political participation among young people and increase their awareness of important issues. But at the same time, there must be awareness of the risks that may accompany this use, with the need to take steps to ensure the integrity of the information circulated on the platform, according to Banafa.
Political ads
In a related context, a Washington Post report stated that a few weeks before the presidential elections, TikTok is still struggling to firmly enforce its long-term ban on political ads.
Last September, researchers from the nonprofit Global Witness tested the political ad moderation systems of three leading social media platforms — TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube — by serving ads containing election-related misinformation.
Examples included ads falsely warning that citizens must pass an English language test to vote; It claims that Donald Trump is ineligible to run for president due to his felony convictions; It calls for a repeat of the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol building.
Although the three platforms differ in their rules for political ads, the ads were designed to violate the platforms’ policies, the researchers said.
Facebook and YouTube performed relatively well, although there were caveats in each case. TikTok, the only app of the three to completely ban political ads, did not.
According to the report, Global Witness researchers presented the same eight ads for each platform. They did not advertise the ads as political and were not subject to any identity checks. To mimic the way a bad actor might use “algorithmic language” to evade detection, they lightly obscured some keywords in ads by replacing numbers and symbols with certain letters. If the platforms approved any of the ads, the researchers deleted them before publishing them so that misleading information would not appear to real users.