UZH's Data Donation Lab supports data journalism cooperation project
In the run-up to the 2025 federal elections in Germany, left-wing influencers have gained reach on TikTok. An analysis of exclusive user data, conducted by Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR) in collaboration with Stuttgarter Zeitung, Stuttgarter Nachrichten, the Weizenbaum Institute and the University of Zurich, confirms this change. The study is based on data donations from 681 TikTok users who provided their personalized “For You” feeds as well as their voting preferences.
Although the data set is not representative, as the majority of donors stated that they voted for the Greens or the Left, it still provides valuable insights into political communication on the platform. The results show that TikTok is no longer only dominated by right-wing parties. Left-wing content is also increasingly reaching a wider audience.
The Data Donation Lab promotes and facilitates research with data collected through data donations. The Data Donation Days were funded as part of the 1st Outreach Call.