From Brussels to the "for you" page: Members of the European Parliament TikTok adoption and campaign use

Sofia Ferro-Santos; Rita Sepúlveda

doi:10.26441/RC25.1-2026-4303

Autores/as

Sofia Ferro-Santos Centro de Investigação e Estudos de Sociologia do Iscte - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (Portugal) https://orcid.org/0009-0001-1586-6339
Rita Sepúlveda Instituto de Comunicação da Nova - Nova University of Lisbon (Portugal) https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4348-5637

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26441/RC25.1-2026-4303

Palabras clave:

TikTok, Union Europea, Politica, Politicos, Redes Sociales

Resumen

Propósito. Este estudio examina cómo los Miembros del Parlamento Europeo (MEP) adoptan y usan TikTok con dos objetivos de investigación: identificar los determinantes de la adopción y analizar el uso de la plataforma durante el período de campaña común de las elecciones europeas de 2024. Metodología. El conjunto de datos incluye 719 MEP de la 10.ª legislatura parlamentaria, codificados para variables demográficas, políticas y de redes sociales. De esto, se encontró que 374 MEP adoptaron TikTok. Se analizó una submuestra de 194 que publicaron al menos una vez durante el período de campaña común. Resultados y conclusiones. Los hallazgos indican que la adopción está más fuertemente determinada por la edad, el país, el tamaño del grupo político europeo y la presencia en múltiples plataformas, particularmente Instagram, que por la ideología. El uso durante la campaña se agrupó en tres tipologías: publicación intensiva y continua, publicación esporádica y actividad episódica solo de campaña. La adopción de TikTok no refleja una división ideológica, sino una negociación estratégica entre los riesgos y las recompensas comunicativas. En cuanto a la interacción, Patriots for Europe Group lidera en "me gusta" durante el período de campaña, seguido por los Miembros No Inscritos, lo que coincide con investigaciones previas sobre el uso estratégico de las redes sociales por parte de movimientos de extrema derecha y campañas independientes. Aporte original. Este estudioanaliza la adopción y el uso de TikTok por parte de los eurodiputados durante el período electoral en el contexto de un escrutinio regulatorio intensificado de TikTok por parte de la Comisión Europea.

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Biografía del autor/a

Sofia Ferro-Santos, Centro de Investigação e Estudos de Sociologia do Iscte - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (Portugal)

Doctora en Ciencias de la Comunicación, es investigadora del CIES-Iscte (Centro de Investigação e Estudos de Sociologia do Iscte - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa). Actualmente es profesora de Comunicación y Marketing en IADE, Universidade Europeia y profesora invitada de Marketing Político en IPPS-Iscte. Su investigación se centra en la comunicación política, principalmente en plataformas de redes sociales. https://orcid.org/0009-0001-1586-6339, sofia.ferro.santos@iscte-iul.pt
Rita Sepúlveda, Instituto de Comunicação da Nova - Nova University of Lisbon (Portugal)

Doctira en Ciencias de la Comunicación, es investigadora en ICNOVA, Instituto de Comunicação da Nova, Universidade Nova de Lisboa. Su investigación se centra en las expresiones colectivas y dinámicas en entornos digitales en relación con la transformación de la intimidad en el contexto de la apropiación de plataformas digitales. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4348-5637, rsepulveda@fcsh.unl.pt

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