Dr Benjamin YH Loh (Taylor's University, Malaysia) delves into the world of cybertroopers and TikTok influencers in Malaysia. 

Malaysia's digital public sphere has been largely dominated by cybertroopers: paid political actors seeking to influence public opinion on politics through the use of digital astroturfing, account sockpuppetry and disinformation. Where the Western world first encountered political “troll farms” in 2016, the Malaysian government has had to endure the presence of these cybertroopers more than a decade earlier. Due to this head start, and with less reliance on bot farms, cybertoopers focus instead on creating and harnessing political rhetoric and strategizing ways to spread amongst the public in an organic fashion. This approach has been very successful across various digital spaces including Internet forums, social media and news comment sections.

However, in recent years the efficacy of these campaigns is starting to wane due to reduced funding and shifts in social media practices and behaviours. The latter is driven by TikTok whose algorithm prioritises more organic and authentic activities, which in turn limit the influence of political actors. As such, I will discuss the platform features of Tik Tok and why it poses a threat to the political establishment in many countries that relies on the use of cybertroopers and troll farms, and what this means for the future of the digital public sphere.