The 2024 Indonesia Presidential Election: Democratic Downturn in the Digital Era

Populism and digital media converged to shape Indonesia’s 2024 presidential election, accelerating democratic regression. Algorithm-driven platforms such as TikTok and Twitter enabled populist leaders to craft emotionally charged, polarized narratives targeting segmented voter groups. Prabowo Subianto, Anies Baswedan, and Ganjar Pranowo adopted distinct digital populist styles ranging from paternal rebranding and pluralist engagement to technocratic messaging. Structural inequalities in internet access and digital literacy left rural and low-income communities more vulnerable to misinformation and populist appeals. Indonesia’s digital ecosystem amplified ideological echo chambers, emotional polarization, and performative political identities, reducing democracy to a spectacle of emotional mobilization rather than informed deliberation.