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Is TikTok having a Cambridge Analytica moment? The recent Romanian presidential election underscores the transformative impact of social media on political engagement. Călin Georgescu, a far-right, pro-Russian candidate, leveraged TikTok to achieve a surprising first-round victory, raising concerns about the platform’s role in democratic processes. This mirrors the 2016 U.S. election, where Donald Trump’s adept use of social media and podcasts played a pivotal role in his success. As digital platforms become the core of political discourse, we to scrutinise their influence on democracy and ensure they foster informed and fair engagement and understand what is behind the algorithm. https://lnkd.in/edrpcSEd

Just when you thought the Tiktok saga in the US was about to finally be over... Maybe not just yet. While Trump fought for a TikTok ban during his first term, it seems like the risk of alienating 180M monthly US users may be influencing a change of heart. Under this new Trump Administration Gartner has identified three key areas of focus for risk areas: 🌐 Shifting trade and foreign policy amid geopolitical uncertainty. ⚖️ Unsettled regulatory and legal environment. 🤖 Talent and workplace changes. With the Trump-Vance Administration philosophically being a dramatic departure from the Biden-Harris Administration we can expect to see quite a lot of interesting developments over the next several years.

Is time up for #TikTok? #ByteDance wields a lobbying contingent unmatched by any other Chinese firm. The company’s lobbying muscle includes over 45 lobbyists from storied #KStreet firms — such as Crossroads Strategies, K&L Gates, and Mehlman Consulting — as well as a litany of other influential insiders. These power players include former advisors to former U.S. House Speakers Kevin McCarthy and Nancy Pelosi and ex-aides to President #JoeBiden. The roster is further distinguished by former members of Congress, like Senator John Breaux (R-LA) and former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-MS). This lobbying arsenal has proven adept at navigating the corridors of power, evidenced by efforts last year to derail legislation that threatened ByteDance’s operational freedom in the United States. My two cents: "Yesterday's vote delivered a resounding blow to ByteDance's lobbying and communication efforts. But, ByteDance’s lobbying juggernaut has plenty of fight left in it, fueled by a nearly bottomless budget." More here from POLITICO's Phelim Kine in today's China Watcher #maligninfluence #lobbying #lobbyingreform #FARA #LDA #foreignpolicy #foreignaffairs #nationalsecurity #internationalrelations #tiktokban #congress #uschinarelations #uschina #greatpowercompetition #informationwarfare #propaganda https://lnkd.in/eve6aUhG

Biden uses social media to exit the presidential race, bypassing traditional media to prevent leaks. It certainly has advantages: it assures that everyone gets the news at the same time and that the sender remains in control over the message. But as Axios rightfully notes, there is a huge risk in using social media for official announcements, because of the glaring problem with misinformation on the platforms - and the unwillingness of some platforms to deal with it. The more users will become used to reading official announcements on these platforms, the more they will be used for misinformation. Note that it took about 15 minutes before media reported it - the time traditional media needed to fact check the news. That's a good thing. You don't want to be the journalist/media outlet who copy-pastes this and get it wrong. https://lnkd.in/evd2H9eN

Last week, Mark Penn released the March results of the Harvard Caps Harris poll, covering everything from the mood of the country to specifics on TikTok and Israel - - full deck is below. A couple things to consider - as Mark notes, independent voters are the key to this election and their top concerns are immigration and inflation. Re-elections are about accountability and as Matthew Yglesias shares in his recent Slow Boring piece on Substack, exaggeration may be this WH’s worst enemy. Some reporters in March tried to draw the link between Trump’s support of TikTok with the interests of billionaire Jeffrey Yass, but the polling deck suggests something more direct: voters 18-24 have negative view of Biden’s performance (page 35); those same voters are the only demographic that oppose Congress’ efforts to reign in TikTok (page 51) and view Trump’s actions on TikTok 10 points better than Biden’s. So is Trump taking a position that will benefit TikTok investors like Yass? Yes. But is he also finding a way to make inroads with the demographic that was most lopsided for Biden in 2020? Also true… #parafossam #privateequity #venturecapital #familyoffices #entrepreneurs

Regardless of political ramifications, this needs to happen https://lnkd.in/eNCM-PAe

Are you interested in the latest developments within the Digital Marketing space? Have a look at this article to understand how politics is having an effect on popular media platforms... #digitalmarketing #courses #media https://lnkd.in/eU4ukk2Q

Explore the implications of Biden and Harris's silence on Brazil's ban of social media platform X, delving into the complexities of free speech and misinformation in the digital age. Discover the controversy surrounding President Biden and Vice President Harris's silence on Brazil's ban of the social media platform X. This article examines the Supreme Court's ruling, Elon Musk's response, and the broader implications for free speech and misinformation. Understand the strategic political decisions and the challenges of regulating misinformation while safeguarding democratic principles in today's digital landscape.

In September 2024, the U.S. Justice Department charged two employees of RT, a Russian state media company, in connection with the transfer of $10 million to a Tennessee-based media startup. U.S. officials accused these individuals of money laundering and failing to register as foreign agents, but their case revealed a wider threat: the continued efforts of Russia and other U.S. adversaries to poison the information environment in the United States. Prior presidential election cycles in 2016 and 2020 saw similar attempts by Russia and other actors to introduce disinformation into the media diets of Americans. This year has been no different. With the unwitting involvement of notable right-wing influencers and commentators, the company in Tennessee produced and published English-language videos on social media platforms, such as TikTok and YouTube, that promoted views in line with Moscow’s “interest in amplifying U.S. domestic divisions,” according to the Justice Department’s indictment. Russian influence operations, as well as those advanced by China and Iran, pose a major threat to American democracy. According to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, foreign powers may not be trying to “attack the integrity of voting systems,” but they are using disinformation to “undermine trust in the integrity of the election and election processes, as well as to further exacerbate divisions among Americans.” Even though Russia’s election interference in 2016 attracted a great deal of public opprobrium in the United States, the Kremlin and other autocratic governments still seek to influence how Americans think and perceive the world. The United States has reacted only tepidly to adversaries’ attempts to shape the hearts and minds of American voters. It cannot afford to be so timid. It needs to better align agencies and departments in dealing with the threat of foreign influence operations, and it must find ways to coordinate with social media companies and other private actors in curbing the disinformation that spreads on their platforms. It should stand up for the right to free speech at home while not allowing that right to be abused by malicious actors. And it should spread its own narratives in rival countries, giving authoritarian adversaries a dose of their own medicine. https://lnkd.in/gztmt_vf

Free speech; What is free speech in the world of tech where a government can ban a social media site, or where a social media site may prefer one view over another? Is there such a thing as unbiased news?