March 21, 2024, 5:36 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
In the U.S., a potential TikTok ban has been a hotly debated topic for some time. Now, German politicians are also picking up on it.
No other social media platform has experienced such a meteoric rise in recent years as TikTok. The app from the company Bytedance entertains with an almost endless number of short video clips from all sorts of areas. However, the creators face strong political headwinds, which are also growing stronger here. The talk is of a possible TikTok ban. TECHBOOK explains the background.
Overview
TikTok as a Data Privacy Issue
As reported by the “Handelsblatt”, the main concern is the vast amounts of information the Chinese company collects through TikTok. The platform is described as a “data vacuum of biblical proportions,” according to a quote from security experts. The German domestic intelligence service shares this view.
Furthermore, there is concern that the app could be misused for state purposes in China, the country where the company behind TikTok is based. In a letter from the federal government, it is explained that all companies based in China are subject to the so-called intelligence law. This could require Bytedance employees, and thus TikTok, to cooperate with local authorities and intelligence services.
Roderich Kiesewetter (CDU), vice chairman of the Bundestag’s intelligence oversight committee, says that TikTok is “a threat to our democracy.” It also serves as an instrument in the hybrid warfare of China and Russia. This involves not only the spread of disinformation but also “espionage and data theft.”
If stricter regulation fails, a ban would be necessary for him. Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, on the other hand, recently spoke out against a general ban but admitted that data could still leak out.
Better Regulation Instead of a Ban
Ralf Stegner (SPD) and Konstantin von Notz (Greens) see it differently and believe that all regulatory options should be exhausted. The new Digital Services Act (DSA) of the EU could serve this purpose. The law requires internet companies to consistently pursue illegal content and misinformation. Konstantin Kuhle of the FDP calls for sanctions in case of legal violations.
Indeed, since February, the EU Commission has had an investigation under the DSA to see if TikTok is doing enough for youth protection and against illegal content. If violations can be proven, fines of up to six percent of global annual revenue—or even a temporary ban—are possible. In 2023, Bytedance generated $120 billion. The Federal Ministry of the Interior welcomes the investigation.
Also interesting: How YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok Deal with Fake News
Will Elon Musk Soon Take Over the US Division of TikTok?
U.S. Threatens European Tech Firms With Penalties
Balancing Act for Politics and Government Agencies
Whether a TikTok ban for the general public will be enacted is still completely unclear. The use in political circles themselves and in state institutions is seen as much more urgent. There, stricter handling must be quickly enforced, also out of concern for espionage. However, there is not yet a cross-agency ban.
Given that the AfD, in particular, finds a lot of support on the app, others are also considering a stronger presence on TikTok. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) even announced a profile for the federal government.
Fight Against TikTok in the U.S. Already Further Along
The trigger for the emerging debate in Germany is the U.S. government’s tougher stance against TikTok. Overseas, they want to give the company an ultimatum: Either Bytedance sells TikTok’s U.S. business within six months, or the app will be banned from Google and Apple’s app stores.
For the plan to be enacted into law, the proposal must receive the Senate’s approval. President Joe Biden has already promised to sign off on the draft afterward, as reported by “Deutsche Welle”. It is far from the first attempt against TikTok.
TikTok claims to have more than one billion users. Of these, 134 million are active monthly in EU countries, with 21 million in Germany. Four years ago, the number was reportedly 5.5 million.