Redefining Social Media in the Age of Digital Populism Case Study: Indonesia’s 2024 TikTok Election

Indonesia’s TikTok audience of over 100 million users has reshaped democratic politics, especially in the 2024 presidential election, by providing an algorithmic environment in which populist narratives gain exceptional visibility. Analysis of how Anies Baswedan, Prabowo Subianto, and Ganjar Pranowo used TikTok shows that simple, emotional, and highly shareable populist content aligns neatly with the platform’s engagement logic. Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka’s gemoy campaign, built around dancing, music, and catchy phrases, became the most prominent in users’ feeds, despite the absence of an official account. Survey data indicate that 62% of respondents recognize TikTok content as conveying populist messages, and 63% report Prabowo-Gibran content as the material they encounter most often. The interaction of content style, engagement metrics, and user perception suggests that TikTok’s design unintentionally fosters an ecosystem in which populist communication thrives, raising wider concerns about platform transparency, algorithmic literacy, and the transformation of political participation online.