Germany’s Bundestag, the country’s lower house of parliament, will expand its social media presence by launching an official account on TikTok, Bundestag President Julia Klöckner has told dpa.
It would be counterproductive not to use the platform to inform the public about parliamentary work, Klöckner said in comments published on Monday.
Klöckner acknowledged TikTok’s controversial aspects but noted that it remains a widely used source of information, especially among younger people who rarely read printed newspapers.
“If you ask young people where they get their news, it’s TikTok,” she stated.
Tiktok primarily hosts short videos, most of which are intended for entertainment, though some are informative – and others spread misinformation.
The platform faces security concerns due to its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, which is based in Beijing. Critics worry that the app could be used by Chinese authorities to collect user data.
Despite these concerns, TikTok remains politically important due to its vast reach.
The German Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information reported that TikTok had around 21 million active monthly users in the country last year, with over 1.5 billion monthly users worldwide.
The right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) was among the first parties to recognize TikTok’s potential and build a strong presence on the platform. The German government has also started using TikTok to engage with citizens.
Source: dpa.com
