Blind spots with consequences!

by | Sep 3, 2025

Why TikTok, Mastodon, Telegram, GETTR, Truth Social and Odysee belong in monitoring

Target group for this blog post:
Chief Security Officer (CSO), Chief Risk Officer (CRO), Head of Corporate Security / Information Security,. Head of Communications / PR (for large corporations, as reputation protection is also a corporate communications issue), Compliance & Risk Management Officers

Uncharted territory?

Trends emerge on these platforms, protests are coordinated and – in some cases – anti-democratic narratives are spread. Many traditional social listening setups only capture them incompletely: due to missing or restricted APIs (e.g. TikTok), federated or encrypted architectures (Mastodon, Telegram), “alt-tech” ecosystems (GETTR, Truth Social) or because content is being moved to alternative video platforms such as Odysee in the wake of sanctions and geoblocking. Those who ignore them risk strategic blindness.

 

Why classic monitoring tools fail here

  1. Data access & API rulesTikTok offers a research API, but its access, data scope and quality are (temporarily) subject to restrictions – with consequences for completeness and timeliness. For brand teams, this means: official interfaces ≠ complete reflection of reality.
  2. Federation & DecentralizationMastodon is not a centralized network; each instance sets its own moderation and access policies. This makes uniform monitoring technically and organizationally complex.
  3. Various communication modesTelegram combines broadcast channels, groups and (only in “Secret Chats”) end-to-end encrypted 1:1 conversations – each format has different visibility and reach. Public channels shape discourse, but are not always integrated into standard tools.
  4. Alt-tech ecosystemsGETTR and Truth Social form communities outside the mainstream platforms, often with their own news flow and different moderation norms – simply “not connected” in many social listening stacks.
  5. Sanctions & evasive movementsEU sanctions against Russian state media (including RT, Sputnik) have led to content moving to alternative channels and platforms (Telegram, Odysee/LBRY) – where monitoring coverage is often weaker.

What happens if you ignore these rooms?

  • Early mobilization signals are lost (e.g. routes, claims, visual mottos, memes). Studies show that Telegram channels and TikTok play a role in organizing, mobilizing or framing protests.
  • Narrative drift remains undiscovered: Frames that emerge at the margins (Alt-Tech, Odysee) often appear in the mainstream with a time delay.
  • Compliance risks are increasing: EU rules (DSA) and sanctions are changing data access and platform obligations – those who do not know their sources are more likely to fall into legal traps or miss out on legally compliant access.

Ethical & legally compliant monitoring – guard rails

  • Respect DSA & ToSCheck which platforms are considered “VLOP/VLOSE” and which data accesses are intended for research/transparency; adhere to the platforms’ terms of use.
  • Data economy & human rightsNo covert infiltration of closed groups; no individual profiling for repressive purposes. Work with public data, minimize personal references, establish clear governance (purpose limitation, audit trails).
  • Sanctions compliance: Comply with EU sanctions rules (e.g. against RT/Sputnik) and document how you deal with listed content (labeling, no redistribution).

Six platforms you should know – and watch!

TikTok brand logo

TikTok – High speed & algorithmic amplification

TikTok is trend-driven and highly visual; viral sounds, duets and remixes can push new frames and protest motifs in hours. At the same time, official data access is curated and (historically) not free of omissions – a problem for early crisis and risk detection that focuses on reliability and latency. In monitoring: focus on creator clusters, audiovisual narratives, cross-posting paths in other networks.

Mastodon brand logo

Mastodon – Federated instead of centralized

Mastodon is a network of many servers (instances). Moderation, hashtags and visibility vary – a challenge for coverage and deduplication. In monitoring: instance-based “seed lists”, observe thematic instances, track down cross-federation entities (people/organizations) instead of just counting hashtags.

Telegram brand logo

Telegram – Channels as a clock

Telegram channels act like public broadcast feeds; groups enable quick coordination; end-to-end encryption “only applies to secret chats” (1:1). Telegram has been examined in various protest contexts as a coordination infrastructure – a reason to systematically screen channels and open groups (legally compliant, see below). In monitoring: Map channel landscapes by topic/location, analyze retweet-like redirects, track transitions to other platforms.

GETTR & Truth Social – “Alt-Tech” with its own news ecosystem

These platforms attract communities that have turned away from mainstream networks; they play a measurable role in politicized information spaces. In monitoring: identify relevant actors (politicians, influencers, media accounts), correlate post/reach peaks with events, observe bridges to larger networks (X, YouTube, Telegram).
Note on classification: Truth Social is operated by the Trump Media & Technology Group; GETTR was launched in 2021 as a Twitter-like alternative. For reputation and risk analyses, it is not enough to simply dismiss these ecosystems as “small” – their discourse influence can be high in certain clusters.

Odysee (LBRY) – Video platform with protocol substructure

Odysee is based on the LBRY protocol. Content is distributed across the network and is not only accessible via the Odysee website. This makes takedowns and monitoring coverage more difficult – especially when sanctioned or de-platformed content moves there. In monitoring: think channel- and protocol-based; recognize mirror strategies (who mirrors what, where?).

Takeaway

It is a big mistaketo exclude these platforms from the monitoring. Not because “everything” happens there – but because there early signals that will later mill their way into larger public spheres: from visually charged TikTok frames and Telegram channels that set the pace, to “alt-tech” echo chambers and odyssey mistrors in the shadow of sanctions. Understanding and addressing anti-democratic narratives, protest mobilization and disinformation campaigns at an early stage requires these ecosystems to be legally, ethically and methodologically sound. with observe.

Platform-specific monitoring instructions (high-level)

  • TikTok: Treat videos & sounds as “topics”; creator networks instead of just hashtags; make data gaps transparent with a view to API restrictions.
  • MastodonInstance seeding; match federated entities (accounts/organizations); log moderation policies of instances.
  • Telegram: Focus on public channels/groups; forwarding networks (forwards) and admin changes as early indicators; note: E2E only in secret chats.
  • GETTR/Truth SocialModel “alt-tech” clusters as separate spheres; observe bridgeheads (influencers, media links) and event couplings.
  • OdyseeIdentify channels that mirror mainstream blocks; understand LBRY protocol (persistence/takedown limits).

Blind spots with consequences!

Heinz D. Schultz

Heinz D. Schultz

VP Business Development for Analytics at RADiOSPHERE


“Turning point, also in the choice of platforms. A challenge for OSINT specialists”

Heinz D. Schultz has worked for several years as a consultant and business analyst for renowned companies. At Radiosphere, he is responsible for business development and consulting.

Phone: +49 7021 9989018
Make a phone appointment
 Email: hdschultz[@]radiosphere.de

Note:
This article provides a strategic overview and does not replace legal advice. The following applies to any use: Observe local laws, platform ToS and data protection law (GDPR/DSFA).
Photos and graphics: Radiosphere
Platform logos: TikTok, Mastodon, telegram, Gettr, Odysee, truthSocial
Sources & further information (selection)