Russian state-affiliated accounts have boosted their use of TikTok and are getting more engagement on the short-form video platform ahead of the U.S. presidential election, according to a study published Thursday by the nonprofit Brookings Institution.
The report states that Russia is increasingly leveraging TikTok to disseminate Kremlin messages in both English and Spanish, with state-linked accounts posting far more frequently on the platform than they did two years ago.
Such accounts are also active on other social media platforms and have a larger presence on Telegram and X than on TikTok. However, the report says user engagement — such as likes, views and shares — on their posts has been much higher on TikTok than on either Telegram or X.
Is it just my partners feed or is there a lot more “totally definitely real russians” appearing on the platform? I’ll occasionally overhear shit like “in Russia we believe in a free market. See I’m a hair stylist, and I didn’t need any training or certificate, and i have built a great business. america would never allow this because they want to keep their people poor. Russia is a true land of opportunity!”
I don’t know if these people are paid or delusional, likely both, but I have trouble with such blatant propaganda picking up traction.
Ooof.
The Government’s interference in small markets via required licensing, such as hair stylists, is a long issue for Libertarians and frankly I agree with them. What sucks is that the National Libertarian Party was hijacked by the Mises Caucus and those buffoons are just MAGAts wearing a wig. I hate that one of LPs long time and objectively correct policy goals has been hijacked by Russian Shills.
No thanks, I take comfort knowing my stylist has proved they understand basic technique, hygiene and chemical safety before they start dumping bleach onto me.
Any opinion that says “Industries that could affect the public health shouldn’t be regulated” can in no possible way be considered either “objective” or “correct.”
You might like getting your two-bit shave and haircut from Greasy Bob at the truck-stop bathroom stall, but the rest of us would rather have the peace of mind knowing the people touching us know what hygienic means.
And before you “B-b-b-b-but free market!” these regulations exist because the free market was failing.
you say hijacked but that must have happened before me because it’s always been like that.
i do like getting a haircut and not getting lice.