Politics

TikTok, Bolsonaro has arrived

tiktok brazil bolsonaro far-right
Image: Salomé Gloanec/The Brazilian Report

If Jair Bolsonaro’s presidency has been built on social media, then Brazil’s head of state celebrated a defining achievement this week. Using his official Twitter account, the president announced that he had reached over 6 million followers and surpassed 10 million likes on Facebook.

“Thank you all for your consideration and interaction,” he said, immediately receiving floods of responses from his followers, some of whom proclaimed their love for the 64-year-old; others begged him to be president for as long as he lives. 

This interaction between Mr. Bolsonaro and his digital fans now has a new channel: short-form video sharing platform TikTok, where users create short and often comical clips to publish to their followers. Unlike traditional social media, TikTok doesn’t yet have an official presidential account, so far being a milieu where supporters or detractors can say whatever they like about the incumbent president. 

More than just new territory on which Bolsonaro supporters may plant their flag, the Chinese social network is overwhelmingly used by young people....

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