TikTok and Facebook are actively used for political aims to spread disinformation, discredit opponents and share manipulative content during the pre-election period in Georgia with an objective of influencing social media users in a favourable direction.
Notably, anonymous Facebook accounts are often active on TikTok as well, for instance: Mikheil Ganubazhebeli (known on TikTok as mikheilukrainologi), Ar Agarevinebt (aragarevinebt on TikTok), and Archive (archivegeo on TikTok), among others. Furthermore, anonymous Facebook pages that operate in a coordinated manner are also observed spreading content on TikTok in a similar coordination.
FactCheck Georgia observed several categories of content spread on Facebook and TikTok platforms in the context of the upcoming elections:
1. Edited versions of authentic videos – Active pages on Facebook and TikTok often manipulatively cut segments from TV broadcasts with the aim to discredit opposition representatives. These accounts also alter the voiceovers and add discrediting captions to these videos (see examples: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15).
Notably, in some cases, these accounts appear to be engaged in coordinated behaviour.
Example 1: A video attempting to portray certain individuals as trying to drag Georgia into war was circulated on Facebook (1; 2; 3) and by various TikTok pages (1;2). Notably, TikTok accounts like Political_page and AVOE.GE, as well as the Facebook page Politika, are anti-opposition pages that operate anonymously. In reality, most of the clips in the aforementioned video have been manipulatively edited to create a misleading impression of the statements and their context (refer to an article by FactCheck Georgia for more information).
Example 2: A video from a United National Movement political party meeting was shared both by Facebook pages (1; 2) and TikTok accounts (1; 2). This footage, featuring party leaders – Giorgi Vashadze and Sopo Japaridze dancing, was utilised to discredit these politicians, captioned with inappropriate language. One page even wrote that these politicians were “going crazy for votes.”
It is important to note that Spacegubo is an anonymous TikTok account that frequently spreads content aimed at discrediting the opposition. Moreover, the Facebook account Ar Agarevinebt (translation: “we will not let you destabilise”) an anti-opposition page, is associated with Vato Shakarishvili, the founder of the United Neutral Georgia public movement, also former member of “Georgian Dream” and Tbilisi City Assembly, according to the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) platform – Disinfoobserver.
Example 3: A video featuring Sopo Japaridze was circulated manipulatively and out of context (refer to Facebook links 1; 2). FactCheck Georgia investigated this information, concluding that the clip was cut in a manner that gave the impression she claimed Georgian citizens were leaving the country during the previous government. In reality, her full statement emphasised that those Georgian emigrants had then returned to the country, with the former President Mikheil Saakashvili incorporating them in the nation-building processes. The anti-opposition TikTok account brdzenikritikosi also shared the aforementioned clip. FactCheck Georgia’s article includes a screenshot of the video spread by the aforementioned account, however, the video itself has since been removed.
2. Fake voice/audio materials – Edited videos (1, 2, 3, 4) are circulating on Facebook and TikTok platforms, featuring altered audio that mimics the voices of Georgian politicians, creating a false impression that these politicians are the ones speaking. Inappropriate language is often used in these manipulated materials.
FactCheck Georgia assessed the videos, which purportedly depict a day in the life of politicians, including Nika Gvaramia, Mamuka Khazaradze, Zurab Japaridze and Giorgi Gakharia, as well as President Salome Zurabishvili (refer to articles 1, 2, 3, 4). Notably, experts from the international organisation WITNESS, specifically the Deepfakes Rapid Response Force programme, reported high probability of artificial intelligence usage in a video, allegedly showing clips of President Salome Zourabichvili describing her daily agenda.
Despite also circulated by several Facebook pages, the aforementioned videos were later removed on this platform, likely after being labelled by Facebook’s fact-checking programme.
Anonymous Facebook (1; 2) and TikTok (1;2) accounts also spread an edited video of Mamuka Khazaradze, where the voiceover mimics the politician’s voice, giving the inaccurate impression that he is performing a song. Furthermore, this song contains discrediting lyrics, such as “I evicted all the neighbourhoods, I was robbing people, I was stealing their houses” and “those who know me well know that I will make a coalition with the devil, I will easily break what I have sworn,” amongst others.
3. Spreading old videos without context – The aforementioned accounts are actively sharing videos from the archive. In many instances, these clips are cut in such a manner that gives users misleading impressions without proper context (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8). For instance, a video featuring Nika Gvaramia, founder of the Ahali political party, was spread on these platforms with an incorrect context. In particular, this footage, featuring the European Championship match between Georgia and Portugal, was edited to create an impression that Nika Gvaramia was referring to Georgian football as “disappointing” and “shameful.” In reality, he made the aforementioned statement during the broadcast of the TV show Mtavari Aktsentebi (Main Accents) in 2020, regarding the events from that year (refer to an article by FactCheck for more information on the topic).
Another video from the archive featuring Nika Gvaramia was circulated on these platforms in which he criticised the US ambassador to Georgia. The video includes the quote from US Ambassador Robin Dunnigan: "The “Georgian Dream“ is the democratically elected government and might be after the next election. We don't choose who wins or loses, the Georgian people do”. The video gave the false impression that Gvaramia was criticising her. In reality, the politician’s claims were cut from an older broadcast of Mtavari Aktsentebi (Main Accents) in 2020 and were directed at the then US Ambassador Kelly Degnan. During that period, US Ambassador Kelly Degnan was facilitator of the negotiations between the ruling party and the opposition. After election, US Embassy published a statement regarding the results of the parliamentary elections, according to which the detected flaws were not sufficient to declare the results of the election illegitimate. This statement was followed by criticism of the US Embassy, including from Nika Gvaramia.
4. Altered election banners – This tactic was utilised against the ruling Georgian Dream party. Edited videos circulated on Facebook (1; 2; 3; 4) and TikTok (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), featuring slogans on banners supporting Georgian Dream in various cities of Georgia – Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Rustavi and Gori – which were edited using software processing. Refer to articles by FactCheck for more information on these topics (1; 2; 3; 4).
Notably, whilst the anti-Georgian Dream TikTok channels publish discrediting videos of government representatives. Typically, the descriptions of these videos include remarks and discrediting language against the government (1, 2, 3 , 4, 5). For instance, one of the TikTok accounts published a photo of Bidzina Ivanishvili, Honorary Chair of the ruling “Georgian Dream” party. The image was taken on August 21 in Mtskheta, when Ivanishvili addressed the supporters from the tribune behind bulletproof glass. In the same material the photo of one of the leaders of "Coalition for Change" – Nika Melia was shown with a description: "Always with the people". In the same context, the account published a screenshot from media "Mtavari Arkhi" with a caption: "Frightened Oligarch."
Notably, anti-Georgian Dream TikTok channels do not appear to be engaging in coordinated behavior, unlike the anti-opposition channels. At the same time, material that has been manipulatively cut/processed or otherwise edited is less common.
