European Study Finds Social Media Algorithms Push Right-Wing Political Content to Young Users

A new European study released in February 2026 reveals that social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) algorithmically promote predominantly right-wing political content to young Europeans aged 18 to 24, significantly shaping their political discourse. The study, commissioned by Finnish think tank Sitra and conducted by the Behavioural Insights Team and Bondata, analyzed 1,719 political posts using 24 fictitious accounts across France, Romania, and Finland. It found that 58% of the political content viewed by young users was right-leaning, compared to 26% left-wing and 16% centrist.

Interestingly, even accounts deliberately designed to show left-wing interest were still recommended right-wing content, illustrating how these algorithms prioritize engagement over ideological diversity. In Finland, nearly two-thirds of political posts were right-leaning, while France’s landscape was somewhat more balanced yet still favored right-wing content on TikTok and Instagram.

The study emphasized that social media algorithms are not neutral intermediaries. Instead, they prioritize provocative content that drives high engagement, which often comes at the cost of pluralism in political conversations. Despite misinformation comprising only about 3% of posts, nearly 67% expressed extreme opinions. Emotional reactions such as anger and fear were common among young users, highlighting the platforms’ detrimental emotional impact.

Moreover, the emergence of AI-generated political content—including deepfakes and AI voiceovers praising far-right figures like Jordan Bardella of France’s National Rally—raises new concerns about the normalization of extremist discourse online. This synthetic content frequently avoids community standard violations yet influences political narratives significantly.

Sitra’s Ilkka Räsänen called for greater transparency from platforms regarding how their algorithms function and urged the European Union to strengthen enforcement of the Digital Services Act (DSA). He advocated for coordination between the DSA and newly enacted AI legislation to ensure synthetic political content is properly labeled and traceable. Since 2023, the European Commission has been investigating X over its recommendation systems possibly amplifying illegal and harmful content, but no formal conclusions have yet been reached.

This study provides a critical insight into how social media platforms influence democratic engagement among young Europeans and underscores the urgent need for regulatory measures to address systemic risks posed by algorithmic amplification of skewed political content.