Despite fear of espionage

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Useful election campaign tool or potential security risk: Europe's politicians are attempting a balancing act in their stance on TikTok.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com)

When the way was cleared for Simon Harris to become Ireland's new prime minister in March, he showed his gratitude on his preferred platform: TikTok. In a video, the 37-year-old, who was officially confirmed in office on Tuesday and is set to become Ireland's youngest Taoiseach (head of government), addressed his 95,000 followers.

He told them about his rise from an "opinionated, moody teenager" who was upset about the lack of school support for his autistic brother. Harris, who is sometimes referred to as the "TikTok Taoiseach", is one of a number of European politicians who make extensive use of the social media platform of Chinese parent company ByteDance. In her opinion, the need to reach younger voters is greater than concerns about the security of the portal.

In 2023, the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism found that fewer and fewer people trust traditional media and are increasingly turning to TikTok for information. According to the report, 20 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds also use the rapidly growing network for political news. In Germany, two thirds of 14 to 19-year-olds use this platform, as political consultant Johannes Hillje told Reuters TV. In many countries, right-wing populist parties dominate TikTok.

Many centrist parties are attracted to TikTok 
In view of the European elections at the beginning of June, many centrist parties in Germany are also pushing for the platform. This is because the minimum voting age has been lowered to 16 for the first time. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also opened a TikTok account on Monday. "I'm not dancing. I promise," he wrote on the X platform, alluding to the fact that short dance videos are usually shared on TikTok.

In the West, however, TikTok is coming under increasing scrutiny. There are fears that the data could fall into the hands of the Chinese government or that the app could be misused to influence users. The German security authorities have therefore issued a warning about the app. The UK and Austria banned TikTok from the official phones of government employees in 2023; if TikTok is "necessary for official purposes", "dedicated ICT devices" will be issued.

Maurer amused with rhubarb song
Justice Minister Alma Zadic (Greens) uses private cell phones to publish content on the Chinese short video platform, while Constitution Minister Karoline Edtstadler (ÖVP) does not use TikTok on official cell phones, as was revealed by a parliamentary question from the SPÖ last August.

Green Party leader Sigi Maurer recently caused a stir as a TikTok user, for example when she shared a Lipsync video of a rhubarb song using the vegetable of the same name as a microphone replacement.

Belgium has also banned ministers and civil servants from installing TikTok on their official devices. But politicians get around this by using the app on separate devices. There is also a debate about whether the system's algorithm supports hate messages and negative news.

In the US, members of Congress now even want to force its Chinese owner to sell the platform or ban it from the app stores. US President Joe Biden - who has an account himself - has raised concerns with China's President Xi Jinping because the platform is considered to have a very large influence with 170 million users in the US. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also raised the issue during her visit to Beijing on Monday.

TikTok rejects accusations
TikTok emphasizes that the concerns about security are unjustified and that the platform does not collect more information than other apps. To allay concerns, TikTok announced last year that it would store European users' data in Dublin. An external security company was commissioned to monitor the data flows. ByteDance and the Chinese government also deny that the product is used for espionage purposes.

French President Emmanuel Macron has not been deterred by these fears anyway: He has now amassed four million followers since joining TikTok in 2020. In Germany, high-ranking politicians turning to TikTok is a more recent trend, with Health Minister Karl Lauterbach being the first minister in the country to open an account in March. "The TikTok revolution: it starts today," he announced.

"Can't leave social media to the AfD"
 "We can't leave social media to the AfD," said the SPD politician with a view to the right-wing populist party, which has risen to become the second strongest force in Germany in the polls. In fact, the AfD dominates among the German parties on TikTok: The party has 411,000 followers there, far more than others. "All other democratic parties are panicking at the moment so as not to leave this important platform and the young electorate to this radical party," explained political consultant Hillje.

German Health Minister Lauterbach said he also had reservations about TikTok, but recognized its effectiveness. "I am not legitimizing the platform by using it." To avoid data leaks, he said he had bought a separate phone to use TikTok. Macron's team also says that the French president sees the usefulness of TikTok and the need for regulation as separate issues. You cannot ignore that part of the population, the vast majority of whom do not watch TV news or read newspapers, said an advisor who did not wish to be named.