When Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the elections for the 3 May 2025, it kickstarted a month-long process of intense campaigning, promises, publicity drives, and sloganeering. With most opinion polls predicting a very tight and highly polarised race likely to result in a hung parliament, the noise is bound to grow louder as both parties aim to win over the undecided voters who hold the key to victory. Conditions are ripe for technology to play the same role it has always played in such fiercely competitive arenas—a potent force multiplier. And if the recent US elections are anything to go by, the side most adept at using technology and modern social media management practices is bound to win. social media Australian elections
Social media and politicians
Social media and politicians have a love-hate relationship. Politicians had mastered the art of public perception management through traditional media, where prepared speeches, celebrity endorsements, and polished appearances were the gateways to winning the battle for mindshare. But social media came out of nowhere and changed the rules of the game. On social media, authenticity beats polished appearances, and relatability outshines the elitist air of celebrityhood. Donald Trump’s victory over Kamala Harris in the recently concluded US elections was widely attributed to his authenticity-laced appearances on podcasts popular among younger male audiences—especially after his disastrous TV debate performances against Harris.
Australia’s prime ministerial contenders have taken note. Both have gone all out on social media, each trying to appear more authentic and relatable than the other. Dutton and Albanese have been highly active across platforms, including TikTok, where Dutton has gained more followers, while Albanese appears to have generated higher engagement with his posts. Both have made appearances on popular podcasts, such as those hosted by Abbie Chatfield and Sam Fricker, in an effort to present themselves as down-to-earth and relatable.
@abbiechatfield Listen to my full chat with Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese @It’s A Lot wherever you get your podcasts or go to link in bio. #labor #alp #liberal #lnp #albo #auspol #dutton ♬ original sound – Abbie Chatfield
Misinformation and foreign interference in elections
Misinformation and foreign interference continue to pose significant challenges to the conduct of free and fair elections. There have been several major examples of misinformation impacting electoral outcomes. The “Leave EU” campaign’s false claim that the UK was paying £350 million a week to the EU—money that could supposedly be redirected to the NHS—is widely believed to have been a key factor in the Brexit vote.
Many countries have been found to engage in spreading misinformation through propagandist social media posts to influence elections in other nations, or even by hacking the emails of political leaders. The Australian federal government made an earnest attempt to tackle the misinformation issue by proposing the Misinformation Bill. However, the bill was eventually dropped due to strong opposition from those who viewed it as a threat to free speech.
Nevertheless, the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) continues to uphold the integrity of democracy, working in collaboration with social media platforms and the government to curb election-related misinformation. social media Australian elections
The medium is the message
Almost 50% of Australians use social media to consume news. Among Gen Z, it is their primary source of news. News media companies that have best understood the realities and dynamics of this medium have thrived. Sky News Australia, for example, became the second-fastest-growing news publishing YouTube channel in the world, driven purely by a content strategy focused on viral themes, prolific posting, and clippable content—perfectly aligned with what social media algorithms favour.
In a world where attention is the only currency left, our social media feeds have become battlegrounds for news outlets, prime ministerial candidates, and news influencers—all competing for our attention.
@peter.duttonmp The election has been called… #auspol #australia #election #fyp ♬ snowfall – Øneheart & reidenshi
AI and elections
While artificial intelligence may be one of the greatest breakthroughs of recent times, it presents a number of nightmare scenarios for those conducting elections. Deepfakes have emerged as a major threat to fair elections, with the potential to spread misinformation on a large scale in a very short time. One deepfake involving a Slovakian candidate allegedly discussing election rigging went viral and is believed to have influenced the outcome of the vote. In India, deepfakes featuring Bollywood stars Ranveer Singh and Aamir Khan appearing to endorse the opposition made national headlines.
The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has taken active steps to identify and curb the spread of AI-generated misinformation. At the same time, in a sign of its forward-looking approach, the AEC has permitted political parties to use AI for creating political ads and content—provided they approve and take responsibility for the final material shared with voters. social media Australian elections
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