The British Government Cares, Many Teenagers Elect TikTok As A Source Of Information

British Security Secretary Tom Tugendhat is concerned about the increasing number of teenagers reading news on social media sites such as China's TikTok. (photo: Twitter @TomTugendhat)

JAKARTA - British Security Secretary Tom Tugendhat is concerned about the increasing number of teenagers reading news on social media sites such as China's TikTok.

According to Tugendhat, application algorithms engineered by foreign countries such as TikTok and others are challenges for British democracy.

"We shouldn't have influenced them by external forces and hidden hands. Foreign interference has been slowly creeping into British democracy for too long," Tugendhat said in a speech at the think tank Policy Exchange, yesterday.

Defending our democracy from state-based foreign threats is a challenge for us all.We must ensure we keep ourselves free and open while confronting the lies that could tear us apart.My speech at @Policy_Exchange today:https://t.co/wrakQ5o3XH pic.twitter.com/A5bibZzd4K

— Tom Tugendhat (@TomTugendhat) December 13, 2022

He warned Britain's enemies, including China, Russia, and Iran, could challenge Western democracy through technology, and with the increasing number of teens relying on TikTok and other social media sites as their main sources of information, it was quite concerning.

While traditional media are rarely in demand, many teens engage with sites set by algorithms programmed by foreign countries, shaping what they see.

It should be noted that foreign countries have considerable influence over algorithms that are editors on these sources.

"The reality is that editorial control is carried out by algorithms programmed by individuals. The idea that this is an editorial decision of several scientifically controlled neutral actors, they are not, they were chosen," said Tugendhat.

Tugendhat is one of the politicians who has been sanctioned by China. He stated the app would affect youth thinking and could present a long-term threat that might undermine his country's sovereignty.

"The influence of social media platforms on our young generation here in the UK and around the world is very broad. Content on this platform will affect the mind," explained Tugendhat.

After Tugendhat voiced concern over sending user data to China, the UK parliament's official TikTok account was closed.

A TikTok spokesman said they were an independent platform, which has a global leadership team.

"We are open about how our recommendation system works, and publish regular transparency reports that demonstrate the moderation of our content in practice," said a TikTok spokesperson.

"We are working to provide researchers, academics and civil society with more access to data on content and activity on our platform."