European politicians use TikTok despite security concerns

TikTok is growing in popularity among European politicians despite security concerns. If you are a politician and you need votes, you need the support of young people. If you need young people, you need TikTok.

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Simon Harris turned to his favourite platform, TikTok, when he became Prime Minister of Ireland. The young prime minister made a "Thank You" video for his 95,000 subscribers. Harris is one of many European politicians who are embracing TikTok. It's a trend - European politicians are turning to TikTok, believing the importance of connecting with young voters trumps perceived security concerns.

For example, German intelligence agencies have warned against using the app over fears that it could share data with the Chinese government or be used to influence users. Similar concerns have haunted U.S. lawmakers for several years. So less than a month ago, the US House of Representatives voted in favour of a bill that could ban TikTok in the United States. The goal is to force ByteDance to sell its share of the popular app or face a ban in the US.

If all goes according to plan (the bill passes and Joe Biden signs it), ByteDance will have a 165-day deadline to sell TikTok. If it does not hand over control of TikTok to a US company, US app shops (such as Apple, Google and Samsung) will be banned from offering TikTok in the country.

Source: Reuters