A recent survey has shown that 58% of Americans believe that the Chinese Communist Party is using TikTok to shape public opinion. In response to this, Taiwanese legislator Chen Guanting pointed out that TikTok is influencing public opinion in various countries, and he urged people to remain vigilant when it comes to TikTok.
According to a survey released by Reuters/Ipsos, 58% of American respondents believe that the Chinese government is utilizing TikTok, a popular app owned by ByteDance, to “influence public opinion in the United States.” The US Congress has recently passed a bill calling for the separation of TikTok from its parent company ByteDance.
Legislator Chen Guanting of Taiwan released a press statement today, highlighting the concern expressed by a majority of Americans regarding the potential impact of TikTok on public opinion in the United States as revealed by the Reuters/Ipsos survey. In addition, the President of the European Commission has also expressed concerns about the dangers posed by TikTok, with various countries beginning to take notice of the app’s negative influence on democratic nations.
According to a report by the European edition of the US political news website Politico EU, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, stated on April 29 that the EU does not rule out the possibility of following the US in implementing a comprehensive ban on TikTok. They are well aware of the risks associated with TikTok.
Since 2019, Taiwan has classified TikTok as a national security risk product, with the use of TikTok being prohibited on government devices. Following the passage of the bill by the US Congress, there is speculation as to whether Taiwan may implement similar measures, sparking public discourse.
Chen Guanting noted recent foreign media reports that topics such as the Hong Kong extradition bill protests, Tiananmen Square massacre, Tibet, and Ukraine – issues the Chinese government hopes to suppress – are noticeably less prevalent on TikTok compared to platforms like Instagram.
Chen Guanting expressed concerns over this phenomenon, leading to questions about whether TikTok’s algorithm deliberately influences a country’s public opinion and challenges the core values of international communication. He urged the public to remain vigilant towards TikTok and pledged to engage in effective communication with the authorities to take proactive measures at the administrative level.