Propagation of Pro-Russian Narratives on TikTok in Czechia
Prague, 28 September 2025 - There are hundreds of interconnected accounts with millions of views spreading pro-Kremlin narratives on Czech TikTok. It is clear that the same network is amplifying the impact of Czech radical and extremist parties’ posts. The accounts are anonymous and use AI-generated videos, and their activity is growing.
The content that users see on social networks is now primarily determined by algorithms rather than friends or groups they follow. Their primary objective is to ensure users remain on the platform for as long as possible, thereby maximising advertising profits. These algorithms’ specific mechanisms are kept secret from the public, which creates room for abuse.
One of the key factors influencing content recommendations is how long users spend viewing it and how many interactions it receives (likes, comments, shares). However, this principle can easily be manipulated. Recent examples show that algorithms can be deliberately circumvented. During the Romanian presidential elections and the German elections, for example, TikTok became a significant tool for political propaganda.
The situation in Czechia
Since August 2025, the Online Risk Labs team has been analysing the Czech segment of TikTok. Their findings suggest that the platform is being increasingly used to disseminate pro-Russian narratives and promote radical and extremist political parties.
Findings:
We have identified 286 unique accounts that consistently publish or share content that promotes pro-Russian narratives. Most of these accounts also share content in support of certain candidates from Stačilo!, SPD, PRO, SPRRSČ M. Sládka and other political parties. However, this does not mean that the candidates or parties in question are aware of this support. Furthermore, the accounts do not align with a single political entity, but rather demonstrate support for multiple radical and extremist parties simultaneously.
Based on our data, these accounts have a cumulative reach of 5 to 9 million views per week. This exceeds the combined reach of the official TikTok accounts of the leaders of the largest Czech political parties. Some posts have received tens of thousands of views, and in some cases, hundreds of thousands.
The accounts are interconnected in that they follow each other and repost and comment on each other’s posts, thereby amplifying each other’s reach.
This activity takes place on a daily basis. Over the last few months, the accounts have reposted thousands of pieces of content.
The content includes, for example, the glorification of Vladimir Putin, disinformation and narratives legitimizing Russian aggression in Ukraine, and demonstrations of the strength of the Russian army. Propaganda content is disseminated in Czech, Slovak, and often also in Russian or accompanied by Russian-language music.
Political and propaganda content is also reposted in many languages, including German, French, Polish, Romanian and Asian languages.
Conclusion
The results of the Online Risk Labs’ research show that the TikTok platform has become a tool for spreading Russian propaganda in the Czech Republic, reinforced, among other things, by artificially created engagement. While this phenomenon poses a systemic risk, we hope that it will not be sufficient to affect the outcome of this year’s elections. Nevertheless, it is a problem that could have long-term consequences for democratic dialogue and security.
The Online Risk Labs will continue to monitor the situation and provide analyses for experts and the general public.
Methodology: Over the past six weeks, Online Risk Labs has monitored the content displayed in the public ‘For You’ feed of Czech TikTok users on an hourly basis in order to conduct a thorough analysis. For example, we have been monitoring disparities in engagement (i.e. likes, comments, and shares) as well as overlaps in followers and commenters on individual profiles.
Mgr. Vendula Prokůpková, PhD.
vendula@onlinerizika.cz