Micro-influencers and algorithmic democracy: Opportunities and risks of citizen participation on TikTok

Alcazar-Gonzales J.C. · Recerca (2026) · DOI: 10.6035/recerca.9137

Resumen

This article examines the role of TikTok as an emerging space for citizen participation in hyper-digitized democratic contexts. It analyses the opportunities and risks that micro-influencers and recommendation algorithms offer for the digital public sphere. On the one hand, the platform gives visibility to previously marginalized voices, democratizing access to political debate and generating new forms of activism and whistle-blowing. On the other hand, the algorithmic logic that prioritizes the emotional and the viral encourages polarization, simplification, and the spread of radical discourses that can weaken democratic deliberation. Examples of comments and electoral content in different countries illustrate these tensions. The article concludes that TikTok constitutes both an opportunity to revitalize citizen participation and a risk to the quality of democracy, and invites reflection on the need for regulation and critical digital literacy. © (2026), (Universitat Jaume I). All rights reserved.

Instituciones: Universidad Católica de Santa María