WIRED Politics Lab: How Digital Social Media Platforms are Measuring Political Power: The Rise of Influencers in the era of Facebook and Twitter

Since taking the helm as WIRED’s global editorial director last August, I’ve heard from plenty of avid audience members—some with enthusiastic feedback about WIRED stories or coverage areas, and others with a consistent message that goes something like this: “I come to WIRED to read about tech, not [insert topic]. Stick to technology.

Let me explain. The upcoming election season, which will be the most technologically and psychologically manipulated of all time, is poised to be the most digital, technologically and emotionally manipulated of all time. We have already seen how propaganda and misinformation can be spread online, causing confusion among politicians and the public. Hacks and intrusions are inevitable: Ever since the DNC was hacked in 2016 by Guccifer 2.0, turning “Hillary’s emails” into a Trump punch line, it’s been clear that digital Watergates are now not only possible but likely. And then there’s the rise of influencers, an industry of widely followed online personalities who can and will be bought by companies and campaigns to deliver carefully crafted messages on platforms like YouTube and TikTok.

Hey, everyone! Welcome to the first edition of the WIRED Politics Lab newsletter. I am a senior politics writer at WIRED, and I am so happy that you are here.

TikTok Resurrects: A Tale of Two Social Media Lives, Two Podcasts, and a Named Biden Candidate

While TikTok may face an untimely end, other platforms are getting resurrected. I and William reported on Wednesday that Parler, one of the first censorship-free social media alternatives to Facebook andTwitter, is about to relaunch after being bought by a right-leaning marketing firm. Just this week, Parler returned to iOS and is expecting to be approved for the Google Play Store later in the week.

Still, everyone heard the news last week: The House passed a bill that would force Bytedance, TikTok’s China-based owner, to sell off the app or have it banned in the US. Which makes it a little wild that campaigns are going all-in on a platform that might not exist, and that their own colleagues are trying to destroy.

The Biden reelection campaign has had to adapt: Rob Flaherty, deputy campaign manager, tells me that they need to play their game a little bit differently because of the personalization of the internet. Long-shot candidate RFK Jr. has leaned on podcasts, like The Joe Rogan Experience, and influencers on Instagram and TikTok to get his message out to voters.