Ahead of Latvia's parliamentary election, politicians increasingly adopt influencer-style communication
Ahead of the October 3 Saeima election, Latvian politicians are increasingly communicating like social media influencers, even as political content faces looser transparency rules than commercial advertising online. The shift comes as Meta, Google and TikTok have restricted or banned paid political advertising across the EU since 2025.
As Latvia's October 3 parliamentary election approaches, communications industry observers note that politicians' social media presence increasingly resembles that of digital content creators, or influencers. Parties and candidates are building personal brands through livestreams, short-form videos and everyday moments, aiming to earn follower trust and sway voter decisions.
Different transparency standards
While influencers who partner with brands must clearly label commercial content as advertising and be able to substantiate their claims — overseen by Latvia's Consumer Rights Protection Centre (PTAC) — no equivalent requirement applies to organic content politicians post themselves. Political communication in Latvia is governed by the Pre-Election Campaigning Law, while the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) oversees campaign financing and paid campaigning. However, KNAB has clarified that politicians may still post campaign-related content on social media on election day and the day before, as long as its promotion was not paid for.
Platform restrictions reshape the game
This election cycle is notable for another reason: since October 2025, Meta no longer permits political, election or social-issue advertising within the European Union, while Google has significantly restricted the placement of political ads in the EU. TikTok bans paid political advertising entirely, including paid partnerships with content creators to promote political content. As a result, politicians must earn audience attention through content quality rather than paid distribution.
PTAC, as Latvia's Digital Services Coordinator, is already involved in matters of election integrity and platform accountability, though verifying the truthfulness of politicians' promises falls outside its remit. Industry observers suggest that as politicians' online influence grows, so too might expectations of accountability for the content they create.
