TikTok politics: Very demure, very Dutton

7am

Peter Dutton is now on TikTok, and his first post was about as inspiring as you might imagine. It’s shot in an office, he’s wearing a suit, and he’s talking about housing.

It’s easy to see this as a case of trying to appeal to the kids. But it’s also a sign of a broader trend among Australian politicians, with around a third of them now on TikTok and more likely to join the platform.

Peter Dutton’s move to TikTok is especially curious, beyond his use of the word “demure”. It signals that he’s made a calculation that the opportunity for votes is more important than any of the security concerns flagged about the app’s parent company, ByteDance.

Today, special correspondent for The Saturday Paper Jason Koutsoukis on whether TikTok is actually a threat – or just an opportunity for political embarrassment.

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Guest: Special correspondent for The Saturday Paper Jason Koutsoukis