Russian Propaganda Heavily Utilizing TikTok

The Brookings Institution published a report on May 2 that found that Kremlin-affiliated actors are increasingly using TikTok to disseminate propaganda and disinformation to foreign audiences.

Brookings Institution fellow Valerie Wirtschafter, citing collected data from Kremlin-affiliated social media accounts, reported not only that Kremlin-affiliated accounts have increased their use of TikTok in 2024, but also that TikTok videos on these accounts are achieving significantly higher engagement rates compared to posts on other social media platforms.

Wirtshafter reported that engagement with Kremlin-affiliated TikTok videos is 3.5 times higher than Kremlin-affiliated posts on Telegram and 20 times higher than posts on X.

Wirtshafter reported that the content of roughly five percent of Kremlin-affiliated Telegram posts is related to US politics, but that the majority of posts about US politics focus on divisive issues.

Wirtshafter reported that the content of roughly five percent of Kremlin-affiliated Telegram posts is related to US politics, but that the majority of posts about US politics focus on divisive issues.

Wirtshafter noted that Kremlin-affiliated accounts largely use these platforms to spread Kremlin narratives and pro-Russian framing about current events.

- Institute for the Study of War, May 4th, 2024 Update