Tallinn (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said Europe should consider banning TikTok, following the U.S.
In his post on X, he said,
Over the past years, we’ve witnessed TikTok spreading disinformation & being a platform for election manipulations. On top of that, its vast data collection is known to pose a serious security risk. Banning TikTok must be considered in Europe as well.
Tsahkna further said,
The clearest example of this came recently from Romania, where the results of the first round of presidential elections were annulled after it was discovered that Russia had interfered through an extensive online campaign,
EER reported.
Over the past years, we’ve witnessed TikTok spreading disinformation & being a platform for election manipulations. On top of that, its vast data collection is known to pose a serious security risk.
— Margus Tsahkna (@Tsahkna) January 19, 2025
Banning TikTok must be considered in Europe as well.https://t.co/N7rrclt6d2
Why is the minister calling for a TikTok ban?
The Foreign Minister stressed that platforms like TikTok do not offer balanced data but instead function as effective instruments for distributing biased content.
TikTok is not media; it is a weapon of influence,
he said.
The minister emphasized that TikTok accumulates a considerable amount of user data, yet it remains ambiguous who may acquire access to this information.
Since TikTok is owned by a Chinese company, there is a legitimate concern that the data could end up in the hands of Chinese authorities. Last year’s annual report by the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service (EFIS) also stated that TikTok collects extensive information, which could be used for intelligence gathering, blackmail or even cyberattacks,
Tsahkna highlighted.
In light of all this, and taking security risks into account, banning TikTok in Europe should be considered. At the same time, democratic nations must continue discussions on how to effectively counter the rise of AI-driven hostile bots, whose clear aim is to interfere in democratic processes,
Tsahkna noted.
What steps has Estonia taken to restrict TikTok usage?
Estonia has made heavy efforts to put a ban on the use of TikTok amongst government employees because data privacy and security are a prime concern. As of March 29, 2023, Estonia’s outgoing Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information Technology, Kristjan Järvan, officially announced that state-issued mobile phones for the public will completely ban the usage and installation of TikTok. The minister added:
If a public official uses their private phone while at work, we really won’t be looking into that.
