We need to talk about TikTok, a new arena for election disinformation

We may know it for its funny videos or dance trends but TikTok is a platform where history is rewritten, political wars are waged and deceptive, misleading and outright false narratives are shaped, seeded and spread far and wide

TikTok is now central to election campaigns globally and will inevitably play a starring role in elections closer to home here too. Picture: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

"If you watch one thing today, let it be this. This Irish politician speaks more truth in 60 seconds than most politicians do in years in office.” 

So said a user on the social media platform TikTok recently as they spoke in a video before introducing a clip of the well-known figure whose speech critiquing a global superpower subsequently went viral on TikTok. They are arguably the most popular Irish politician on the platform as a result. Can you guess who it is?