Instagram dominates social media use among Brazilian federal deputies

Data from the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) reveals that Instagram is the most utilized platform among candidates for federal deputy in Brazil. Of the 513 elected deputies, 454 reported using at least one Instagram account during their campaigns.

Approximately 39 elected deputies have surpassed 1 million followers on the platform. Nikolas Ferreira (PL-MG) leads this group with 22.7 million followers, followed by Lucas Pavanato (PL-SP) with 5.5 million and Erika Hilton (PSOL-SP) with 5.3 million. A Nexus survey indicates that 52.3% of the engagement from the most-followed deputies comes from representatives in the political right.

Other platforms used for campaigning include Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, X, Threads, LinkedIn, and WhatsApp, though Instagram remains the dominant channel for digital communication among these officials.