MANILA, Philippines — A study conducted by experts from the University of the Philippines and other foreign universities found that at least 1,500 social media influencer accounts were involved in covert or under-the-radar campaigning during the 2022 general elections. They added that the research built on early research that focuses on political influencers and the mediatization of politics. The research said that of the 1,425 influencer accounts across four social media platforms engaging in covert political campaigning, about three percent of the total influencer accounts were subjected to the 18 multi-dimensional index. Notably, TikTok had the least number of influencer accounts posting election-related content but almost 13 percent are deemed to be involved in covert political campaigning. The study said the influencer-campaigner accounts vary in their participation in covert political campaigns across the three dimensions of analysis and the platforms.

Source: Philippine Star January 28, 2026 16:17 UTC