Dancing with the dictator: How Belarusian propaganda hijacked TikTok.

8 July 2025

NEE

Belarusian regime uses TikTok for propaganda, adapting state narratives into trendy, viral short videos to promote pro-Lukashenka views.

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[This is an automatically generated summary, for reference only]

Following protests and media layoffs in September 2020, Russia Today assisted Belarus in rebooting state media and teaching social media strategies, leading Belarusian institutions to heavily rely on the Russian model, particularly using TikTok for propaganda. The text notes that seemingly lighthearted TikTok content, such as a video about military outfits, is part of a larger effort by pro-Lukashenka creators to promote regime narratives, making authoritarianism appear relatable. Lukashenka’s propaganda machine adapted by remixing short clips from traditional television broadcasts with trending sounds to effectively utilize TikTok.

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