TikTok has not finished counting for political strategists. Despite the ban imposed on elected officials, the parties, both in Quebec and Ottawa, are still relying on the application to speak to the younger segments of the electorate.
The banning of TikTok in Ottawa took the Bloc Québécois by surprise. A question-and-answer session scheduled for Wednesday by MP Jean-Denis Garon was canceled on Monday, “time to study the ministry’s directive and the upcoming decision of the Speaker of the House”. The Bloc Québécois account was immediately deleted. However, the profile of the “Young Bloc members” on TikTok displayed a few hours later a new video denouncing the oil projects of the Prime Minister in a context of climate crisis.
This ambiguity is echoed by most political parties, both in Quebec and in Ottawa. Politicians comply with security measures, but political parties cannot do without this popular platform.
“Communicating with the public, everywhere, all the time, is political 101. Staying in touch with people, where they are, that’s the job”, indicates a source who works in political communication, but who did not wish to be named.
The figures are convincing. Jagmeet Singh, of the New Democratic Party, triumphs in the country with almost 880,000 subscribers. His viral videos reach millions of views and have helped build his reputation. The politician claimed on Tuesday to take “a break” from TikTok “even on [son] private cell phone”, without deleting his account.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre preferred to withdraw from the platform. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau didn’t have to because he didn’t have an account. Regardless, excerpts from statements by these two political beasts still abound on TikTok, the result of the work of supporters or the media.
In Quebec, François Legault, the Parti Québécois, Québec solidaire and the Conservative Party were still active on Wednesday evening. The echoes of the parliament suggest that these formations and personalities will not soon abandon TikTok and the 1.8 million Quebecers who are there.
Advertising allowed
Reflections are beginning on the safe use of TikTok among all political communications managers contacted by The duty. Some think of using personal telephones reserved for this application. Others are evaluating the possibility of publishing from computers.
Because TikTok can continue to be used under certain conditions, according to the ministerial directive from Quebec. “It is always allowed for public bodies to use TikTok to reach their customers, if this use is not done through mobile devices”, says one in the official document consulted by THE Duty.
The appeal of TikTok among young people is too powerful to be ignored, confirms Alexandre Turcotte, vice-president of creation and strategy at the Heya agency, which specializes in the content of this platform. ” [TikTok] is extremely powerful both at the organic level and at the advertising level, where it gives incredible results. »
Even if this recent setback “will hurt certain organs or organizations”, the Chinese application still has a bright future ahead of it, he believes. “It gives really more interesting results than on other platforms. »
Quebec is lagging behind, notes Mireille Lalancette, professor of social communication at the University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières (UQTR). “We are still in the use of appropriation, like when politicians started to “twitter” in 2012. »
The parties most advanced in this form of state-of-the-art communication, namely Québec solidaire and the Conservative Party of Québec, stand out for the fact that they “respect the codes”, observes the researcher. They are “politicians supervised by young people”. After all, TikTok, “is the platform for young people”.
His advice for success on the popular software? “You have to keep it short, with images, text, a lot of humor and a lot of self-mockery. We don’t send a message: we connect with people. »
What risks?
The government’s decision to tighten the screws on TikTok comes from a “snowball effect”, estimates cybersecurity expert at UQAM Sébastien Gambs. The United States led the way, and other countries followed.
No investigation has yet proven the danger of the application, to his knowledge. But the risk is too great, since in China, “there is no safeguard” regarding the use of personal data by the government.
“The risk is that we start blackmailing people, or that we get undue advantages when it comes time to negotiate contracts that involve Chinese companies,” he said.
The outcome within “two to three months” of government investigations into the application will determine whether or not TikTok’s hours are counted in the country.