#bundestagswahl: Hashtags and party visibility in the 2025 German federal election on TikTok

Abstract This exploratory study examines the visibility of political parties on TikTok during Germany’s 2025 federal election campaign. Using a dataset of nearly 48,000 posts collected through TikTok’s Research API, we analyze the frequency and prominence of party-related hashtags and identify the most active content creators. Our findings reveal an imbalance in party representation: The right-wing Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) consistently dominates hashtag rankings throughout the campaign, while other major parties – particularly the Greens – are notably underrepresented on the platform. This dominance is not so much rooted in official party communications but user-generated content, both supportive and critical. We argue that TikTok’s algorithmic architecture may amplify polarizing content, inadvertently favoring populist actors. Our findings highlight the need for greater scrutiny of platform-mediated campaigning and its potential to shape political discourse and visibility in non-transparent ways.