This is a weapon of influence: Estonia proposes Europe to consider banning TikTok.

The Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna expressed the opinion that TikTok should be banned in Europe due to the spread of disinformation, fake news, and influence on election results.

In Romania, Russian interference through a massive internet campaign led to the annulment of presidential election results. This is the most vivid example of the dangers associated with TikTok.

The minister emphasized that TikTok does not provide objective information and becomes a tool for spreading biased information.

Tsahkna stressed that the company collects a large amount of user data, and it is unknown who may gain access to it.

Due to TikTok being owned by a Chinese company, there are reasonable fears that the data may fall into the hands of the Chinese authorities. The annual report of the Foreign Intelligence Service also noted that TikTok actively collects data that can be used for espionage, blackmail, and cyberattacks.

Given these security threats, Tsahkna demands a ban on TikTok in Europe. He also emphasizes that democratic states should discuss ways to effectively counter hostile AI-based chatbots that are involved in democratic processes.