There is an online election

The WIRED Politics Lab: Guided through the Digital Watergates of 2024 for a New Generation of Politeticians and Influencers

I have heard from a lot of avid audience members who say they come to read WIRED because of the stories and coverage. The person said to stick to tech.

Let me tell you how to do it. On a global scale, 2024 is poised to be the most purely digital, technologically mediated, psychologically manipulative election season any of us have ever seen. The democratization of artificial intelligence has caused a lot of confusion among politicians and the electorate. Hacks and intrusions are inevitable: Ever since the DNC was hacked in 2016 by Guccifer 2.0, turning “Hillary’s emails” into a Trump punch line, it’s been clear that digital Watergates are now not only possible but likely. There is a rise in the popularity of online celebrities who can be purchased by companies to deliver carefully crafted messages on platforms like YouTube and TikTok.

WIRED is relentlessly focused on the future, and on building a better one. The 2024 election season will be instrumental in shaping our collective path forward—and so we’re deepening our commitment to guide you through it. I’m thrilled to introduce WIRED Politics Lab, a weekly newsletter and forthcoming podcast.

Rejuvenating TikTok: What Do Social Media Candidates Really Want to Tell Us About Biden’s Electoral Campaign?

While TikTok may face an untimely end, other platforms are getting resurrected. Parler, one of the first censorship-free social media alternatives of its kind, is about to relaunch after being purchased by a right-leaning marketing firm. Parler is expected to be approved for the Play store later in the week after returning to Apple’s handheld operating system.

Everyone heard the news last week. The House passed a bill that would force Bytedance, TikTok’s China-based owner, to sell off the app or have it banned in the US. Which makes it a little wild that campaigns are going all-in on a platform that might not exist, and that their own colleagues are trying to destroy.

The Biden reelection campaign has had to adapt, because Rob Flaherty, the deputy campaign manager, says the internet has become more personalized in the last four years. Long-shot candidate RFK Jr. has leaned on podcasts, like The Joe Rogan Experience, and influencers on Instagram and TikTok to get his message out to voters.