Social media, like TikTok, increasingly influences politics and elections, raising concerns about disinformation and targeted campaigning.
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The European Commission has called for the freezing and preservation of data related to risks to elections and public discourse in the European Union on TikTok. Experts note that the influence of social media platforms is growing in Lithuania and across Europe. Social media, especially unconventional online news, is becoming a dominant space for election campaigns, allowing candidates to reach specific demographics more easily than through traditional channels. Concerns are raised about the lack of transparency in online political campaigning, particularly regarding coordinated, often ethically questionable, activities like using bots and trolls. Furthermore, experts point out that Russia is increasingly using profiling methods, starting with seemingly harmless product campaigns, to influence less educated and lower-income individuals, which can then be leveraged for political messaging. In some countries, such as the Czech Republic, TikTok is frequently used by opposition figures to increase their visibility.
