The signs of social media’s increasing prevalence in European politics
In contemporary politics, social media buzz is more important than political expertise.
In recent years, social media has become a central instrument for political communication, providing a venue for politicians to set a public agenda and mobilize voters. Digital campaigning has established itself as an integral part of any modern campaign arsenal, providing candidates with a significant edge to reach particular demographics. This was evident in the 2024 European Parliament elections, during which young candidates and political parties gained seats in parliament thanks to their visibility on social media, which is popular among young adults.
In France, for instance, Jordan Bardella led the far-right National Rally party to a landslide victory in the European Parliament elections, defeating President Emmanuel Macron's centrist party by a wide margin. His meticulously curated social media presence made him the most popular among French youth in the European elections. In Cyprus, YouTuber Fidias Panayiotou was elected as a European Parliament Member after a sweeping victory, coming third in the country as an independent with almost one-fifth of the votes. While he openly admitted knowing nothing about politics or the European Union, he announced his candidacy for the European Parliament. Panayiotou harnessed his millions of subscribers to compensate for his lack of experience. Panayiotou declared on his first day at the European Parliament that his agenda's priority was to "make politics cool," demonstrating that, in contemporary politics, social media buzz is more important than political expertise.
Despite serious security and misinformation concerns surrounding social media platforms such as TikTok, political candidates have prioritized tapping into the millions of predominantly young European users on these platforms over policy directives. In February 2023, the European Commission banned its staff from using TikTok over cybersecurity concerns, ordering them to delete the app from all work phones and devices. This move against TikTok was justified to protect the Commission against cybersecurity threats, while the EU's executive body constantly reviewed other media platforms. Nevertheless, amid reelection campaigns, European politicians shunned the EU guideline and revived their presence on the app to reach young voters, regarded as a critical demographic for influencing election outcomes.
Social media has also emerged as a key platform for disseminating information and shaping public opinion. According to the Eurobarometer News & Media Survey 2023, while social media platforms rank third in news source habits, following television and online press and news platforms, they have experienced the most significant increase in usage compared to the previous survey. When considering younger demographics, social media platforms are the dominant news sources for young adults aged 16-24.
The risks of foreign interference, data abuse, and disinformation
The evolution of social media from a niche tool to an essential component of political campaigns and information dissemination has heightened the risk of foreign interference, data abuse, and disinformation. The gravity of these issues was made evident in the 2016 US presidential election, the 2017 Cambridge Analytica scandal, and the spread of disinformation about COVID-19. However, despite numerous instances reflecting the dangers brought about by social media's omnipresent presence in society, regulatory and monitoring bodies have struggled to keep up with regulations.
With social media permeating every aspect of politics and geopolitical tensions intensifying, the EU faces increased risks of foreign interference in its elections and democratic processes. Foreign actors have accurately recognized social media as a valuable platform for conducting interference operations aimed at influencing policy, achieving strategic goals, and undermining democracy. Amid the 2024 pivotal election year, during which the fate of numerous democracies' foreign policy direction is being decided, malicious entities have boosted their attempts to meddle in elections. In Europe, the Special Committee on Foreign Interference in all Democratic Processes in the European Union (INGE) outlined the strategies used by malicious foreign powers, including the use of social media platforms, news outlets, cyber-attacks, covert funding, and recruitment of politicians to undermine democratic processes. The INGE committee emphasized the urgent need to bolster the EU's defense against foreign interference during the elections, listing Russia and China as the primary actors.
As EU political parties began to adopt digital campaigning strategies, data abuse is increasingly becoming the norm in the European political landscape, undermining the democratic principles underpinning the Union. Human Rights Watch reported that the 2022 election campaign in Hungary was fraught with data-driven campaigning across the political spectrum. The Fidesz ruling party, led by Viktor Orbán, exploited and repurposed data collected by the government for administering public services, such as COVID-19 vaccine registration, tax benefits, and mandatory membership in professional associations, to spread its campaign messages. While the opposition parties also processed personal data without transparency, they relied on traditional data collection methods and private digital campaigning companies' services, which did not create unfairness in the election process. Coupled with the severe weakening of the country's political institutions, the government's shady use of personal data in political campaigns raises serious human rights concerns and further damages democracy in Hungary.
At a time when Western countries face geopolitical, climate, economic, and democratic challenges, malign foreign actors have stepped up their information manipulation operations to increase polarization and undermine unity. Notably, since the launch of Russia's war against Ukraine, the Kremlin has exploited social media and news outlets to disseminate disinformation in Western democracies and push its agenda forward. A report from the Alliance for Securing Democracy exposed the Kremlin's Nesting Doll strategy, under which the propaganda of the sanctioned Russian state-controlled RT news outlet is republished on third-party websites, openly accessible in Europe and the United States. This stratagem aligns with the pattern of the Russian Doppelganger operation, a disinformation and influence campaign aiming at undermining support for Ukraine. The operation involves a vast network of social media accounts and fake websites, bypassing restrictions to target foreign countries with pro-Russian propaganda, reaching millions of European users.
A path forward at the individual level
Faced with increasing risks of misinformation, foreign interference, and data abuse, as well as the growing prevalence of social media in politics, governments have stepped up their strategy to respond to the malicious use of social media. The European Commission is notably developing a pan-societal approach based on policy adaptation, awareness-raising, media literacy enhancement, and institutional cooperation. Yet the responsibility for mitigating social media risks falls primarily on users. Several reflexes can be learned at the individual level to avoid the harmful exploitation of social networks. These include:
fact-checking before sharing a post on social media,
verifying the credibility of sources,
reflecting on the source's agenda and political stance, and
considering emotional stories with caution.