While some countries have been restricting the use of TikTok among government officials and with the United States planning to ban the social network, Lithuanian Defence Minister Dovile Sakaliene has expressed concern about her Social Democratic Party’s account therein.
The minister says that TikTok is being used widely to spread disinformation, and she plans to talk to colleagues in the party about this matter.
“The Social Democratic Party has a TikTok account?”, Sakaliene responded when first asked about the presence of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) on the platform. “That’s a surprise to me.”
The party’s TikTok account has nearly 700 followers, and it posted its first video in March 2022.
“I don’t think TikTok is a good platform for any purpose, because it has nothing to do with freedom of information,” Sakaliene explains. “Disinformation isn’t a component of freedom of information. I definitely view it very negatively, though a political party is not a state institution.”
A representative of the LSDP communications team told BNS that TikTok content is just a small part of the party’s public outreach efforts.
“According to Kantar, around 54% of Internet users in Lithuania use TikTok, and that is a significant segment of the audience,” the LSDP told BNS in a written response to its questions. “It is natural that parties, politicians, media outlets and other organisations use this platform to reach as many people as possible.”
In 2023, Lithuania’s National Cyber Security Centre carried out cybersecurity analysis of TikTok and recommended against its use on official devices.
TikTok was identified as a security risk with significant negative implications for the digital data and information systems of users.
The centre confirmed to BNS that its recommendation remains in effect, adding that it advises political organisations to take it into account as well.
Source: BNS
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