A government minister has raised concerns over young people using TikTok as a news source as they believe it could be used by China to 'influence minds'. Tom Tugendhat, the security minister, said today that “challenges” could be created if China declares the platform’s algorithms a national security asset.
Video-sharing platform TikTok, which is increasingly used to read and share news, is owned by Chinese firm ByteDance. Mr Tugendhat used a speech at the Policy Exchange think tank to stress it is “critical” that people where debates are coming from.
He added that "for too long foreign interference has been slowly creeping into British democracy," something that could be made worse if China started to try and exert more influence through algorithms on the millions of young people using TikTok in the UK, especially through the news shown to people.
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“The influence of social media platforms on our younger generations here in the UK and around the world is pervasive. The contents on these platforms will influence minds,” he said.
“Yet it’s worth noting that foreign states hold considerable sway over the algorithms that are the editor on these sources. The challenge for a free country like ours is how we manage this debate.”
Mr Tugendhat was pressed whether he thinks TikTok is being used as a tool by the Chinese state. “The reality is there are many different platforms around, TikTok is one of them, and the reality is editorial control is exercised by algorithms that are programmed by individuals,” he said.
“The idea that these are some neutral actors scientifically controlled editorial decisions, they’re not, they’re chosen. They’re just chosen by someone who has programmed them in advance rather than somebody who’s decided whether to run your news story or somebody else’s news story.
“Whether or not these sources are being used to influence or shape debate today, may not be the question. The truth is the bridge is being built and what’s crossing it is yet to be worked out.”
But he did not say whether the Government is planning to regulate TikTok. Instead, Mr Tugendhat said: “If ByteDance declare, for example, the TikTok algorithm, or rather the Chinese state declare the algorithm, a national security asset, that poses challenges.”
In August, Parliament closed its TikTok account after MPs raised concerns about user data being sent to Beijing.
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