Estonia supports ban on TikTok in Europe following US example
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna (Photo: RBC-Ukraine, Vitalii Nosach)
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna stated that Estonia supports the blocking of the Chinese social network TikTok. They advocate blocking the social network in Europe following the example of the United States.
He noted that in recent years, Europe has seen TikTok spread disinformation and fake news and influence election results.
“The most striking example of this was recently in Romania, where the results of the first round of the presidential election were annulled because Russia's interference in the election was revealed through a widespread online campaign,” the minister said.
Tsakhkna believes that “TikTok is not a media outlet, but a weapon of influence.” At the same time, he admitted that the collected user data could get to the Chinese authorities. According to him, the latest yearbook of the Foreign Intelligence Service emphasizes that Tiktok collects a large amount of information that can be useful for intelligence gathering, blackmail, and cyberattacks.
“In light of the above, taking into account the security risks, it is necessary to consider the possibility of banning TikTok in Europe,” the Estonian Foreign Minister said.
TikTok ban in the United States
On the evening of January 18, access to the TikTok social network was restricted for US users. It was removed from the Apple and Google app stores.
US President-elect Donald Trump, who will be inaugurated on January 20, suggested that the ban on TikTok in the US could be postponed for 90 days. According to him, the decision will be made next week.
