The Anti-Authoritarian Toolkit, by D-HUB
Volume 01 | The Authoritarian Playbook

A New Comms Ecosystem

Communications infrastructure for message distribution.

The Play

New authoritarian leaders were the first to understand that social media had fundamentally reshaped public discourse. They recognized the shift in how people gather information, communicate, and form opinions. Operating by its own logic and rules, social media has become the modern-day agora.

To profit from this shift, they have built a sophisticated digital communication ecosystem that enables distribution channels to disseminate their messages effectively. In this ecosystem, they place themselves at the center and behave as "influencers-in-chief", leading an army of supporters who amplify their narratives and reinforce their dominance. Additionally, new authoritarians swiftly adapt to emerging social media platforms, staying constantly up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies.

While social media drives their strategy before election day, many seize control of legacy media once in power—crucial for cementing their narrative, expanding influence beyond digital platforms, and dominating public discourse.

What does it look like?

1. Influencers in-chief

New authoritarian leaders exhibit a distinctive approach to social media. They command a network of influencers to dominate the online discourse. These influencers are strategically chosen for their ability to reach specific demographics or communities and their credibility and relatability within those groups. Acting as multipliers, they directly connect with their followers to build a loyal support base, exponentially expanding the leader's influence and reinforcing the agenda.

2. Decentralization of channels

The media landscape, once dominated by major news corporations and gatekeepers, is now fragmented with countless information sources, weakening the influence of traditional media. This shift allows authoritarian leaders to push their narratives beyond conventional norms. They weaponize social media, maximizing every platform's potential, adapting to its rules, and flooding phones with their content. They stay ahead—when TikTok emerged, they mastered it. They invest, personalize, and constantly evolve, ensuring they always have the upper hand.

3. Constant communication

Unlike traditional media, which is bound by news cycles and formal political coverage, social media enables a continuous stream of communication at any time. This constant presence across platforms keeps authoritarian leaders in the public eye. Beyond the digital space, their online presence spills into real life—picnics, festivals, dancing, and singing—all designed to create a sense of community and belonging. In doing so, they transcend politics, embedding themselves into popular culture and becoming cultural icons.

4. Message diversification and targeting

The digital ecosystem allows for tailored messaging to target specific demographics. A careful study of audiences allows this segmentation to favor the "syncretic populism" grand strategy, by addressing each group's concerns, desires, and even using their language.

5. Relatable content and emotional response

New authoritarians prioritize content that is visually striking and emotionally charged. At times, this content looks like ordinary citizens could have produced it. Simple, memorable slogans and messages that evoke strong emotional responses ensure higher engagement and a more profound impact.

6. Combination of tactics to consolidate the ecosystem

In building this digital ecosystem, authoritarians employ several tactics:

  • Construction: They create a plethora of new brands and communication channels, including fake digital newspapers, sensationalist blogs, and pseudo-news sites. These platforms often mimic the aesthetics of legitimate news but serve propagandistic purposes. It also involves extensive networks on social media, WhatsApp groups, etc., sometimes supported by bot armies.
  • Acquisition: Recognizing the value of established credibility, authoritarian regimes often buy out existing media channels and social media profiles that boast significant followings, thereby co-opting their audiences.
  • Advertising: They invest in sophisticated, targeted advertising campaigns designed to reach key demographics. Extensive data analytics often underpin these campaigns to maximize impact and conversion rates.

These tactics to develop and maintain this ecosystem involve a significant investment. Thus, the result is a robust infrastructure of channels in order to shape the public conversation, sustain influence, and counter criticism

7. Monetization

New authoritarian leaders leverage the digital ecosystem to fund their operations and expand their influence. By building large online followings, they monetize their presence through partnerships with platforms like YouTube and TikTok, generating income while amplifying their reach. They also sell exclusive content, such as online courses, merchandise or training programs, and engage in targeted advertising to further boost their financial resources.

Additionally, by creating business models around extremist content, they attract individuals who may otherwise remain uninvolved, offering financial incentives or a sense of purpose to spread their ideology. This approach strengthens their authority and builds a loyal, financially invested support base.

Who's done it?

Nayib Bukele

Influencer in-chief

From his early days as mayor, Nayib Bukele noticed the remarkable surplus in mobile connections in El Salvador and grasped the relevance that social media holds in everyday life. For him, social media is not merely another pillar in his communication strategy; it is the backbone of his government. Bukele built a fundamentally digital-driven political project and carefully crafted his image, both visually and conceptually, positioning himself as the country's biggest influencer. By actively creating and promoting a vast array of digital channels, Bukele has solidified his presence as a leader who leverages these platforms to engage directly with the public, making him a central figure in shaping the public conversation.

The president of a country with just 6 million people commands massive online influence:

  • TikTok: 10.2 million followers
  • Instagram: 9.8 million followers
  • X (Twitter): 7.8 million followers

By early 2022, Bukele's digital reach included:

  • 1,500+ YouTube channels
  • 1,056+ Facebook pages
  • 520+ WhatsApp groups
  • 62+ digital media outlets

Viktor Orbán

The Owner

Orbán and his allies have systematically acquired control over Hungary's media landscape. The Central European Press and Media Foundation (KESMA), which is aligned with his ruling party, Fidesz, owns and controls almost all the media.

500+ media outlets controlled by Orbán

India: Narendra Modi

The Strategic Investor

Renowned for his relentless 24/7 campaign mode, Narendra Modi is also a major investor in strategic communication. His approach is meticulously crafted: his personal accounts receive heavy investment to amplify vivid rhetoric and political slogans, while official accounts are used to showcase his government's achievements in welfare, social justice, and economic growth.

Over eight years, USD $783 million (₹6,491 crore) was spent on advertising in digital and non-digital media. In four months of 2024, just before the elections, Modi's government spent $4.65m USD (387M rupees) on Google ads.

Brazil: Pablo Marçal

The Monetization Guru

The far-right Brazilian influencer-turned-politician has adeptly monetized his extensive online presence to fund his political ambitions, blending self-help coaching with nationalist and anti-establishment rhetoric. Boasting over 25 million followers, he leverages this vast audience to generate revenue through paid mentorships, exclusive courses, high-ticket seminars, and branded merchandise. Marçal gamifies loyalty, turning followers into ambassadors who recruit others.

During his 2024 São Paulo mayoral campaign, he paid prizes to supporters to create viral campaign content, effectively transforming his base into paid promoters. This self-sustaining cycle of monetization, mobilization and digital reach fuels both his financial success and political ambitions, ensuring that his followers are not just engaged—but financially invested.

Marçal's Prize Strategy by the Numbers:

  • 200K+ people participated in the prizes.
  • 20K+ pieces of content generated.
  • 8 million+ followers across content-distributing accounts.
  • 1 billion views on YouTube and TikTok alone.

All achieved without using his official channels and with an investment of just $4,000.

What can democrats learn?

1. Social Media Is The Modern Public Square

Mobile connectivity and widespread internet adoption have propelled social media to the forefront of political communication—often outpacing traditional media. While conventional outlets continue to wield influence in certain contexts, social platforms now shape public discourse and dominate content distribution. The most effective strategy merges the credibility of traditional media with the expansive reach of social media, creating a comprehensive communications ecosystem that maximizes both trust and mass distribution.

2. Get In The Social Media Game

One thing is clear: simply being on social media is not enough. To succeed, democracy defenders must understand its rules and embrace the playful dynamics that define these platforms.With few exceptions, social media favors anti-democratic leaders. Perhaps because, at first, it was their only pathway to power, they recognized its potential earlier. They invested heavily in building their digital ecosystem, using creativity and playfulness—even when their tone is aggressive or rude

3. Set Up Diverse And Resilient Channels

A diverse communication infrastructure includes multiple information channels that can effectively disseminate the message of democracy defense. Just like authoritarian leaders do, acknowledge this: it is crucial to diversify channels and ensure they become accessible and appealing to each specific audience.

4. Reach The Audiences Where They Already Are

Instead of creating new channels, introduce your messages into existing spaces where people are already engaged. Influencers can amplify your reach within different communities. So, map out key influencers and involve them in participatory ways, giving them creative freedom. This approach can turn influencers into organic distributors, reaching audiences receptive to your messages that would otherwise be impossible to access.

5. Leverage The "Aura Of Trust"

Authoritarians create WhatsApp communities for a reason: they know that messages from known contacts carry more credibility than those from strangers. This is due to the 'aura of trust'—people are more likely to believe information from familiar sources. In an era of diverse channels and fragmented identities, leveraging trust is key to increasing a message's reach, impact, and acceptance.

6. Spend Money Smartly

When funding is limited, resources must be used wisely by leveraging different voices to spread a unified message while still allowing each to keep their unique style to maximize reach and engagement. Continuously track the performance of each post and judiciously use paid advertising to boost content that has already shown organic effectiveness, targeting it towards audiences likely to be receptive.

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Away from traditional politics towards a more 'common touch'.

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