Appeal for a unified approach in handling TikTok situation.

The administration is making changes. - Appeal for a unified approach in handling TikTok situation.

To address the contentious social media platform TikTok, the Hesse state government recommends a unified stance between the federal government and the states. According to Benedikt Kuhn, head of the state chancellery in Wiesbaden, the concerns surrounding the use and management of TikTok accounts apply to all 16 state governments and the federal government.

A collaborative effort among the federal government, states, and the EU is deemed sensible by the state government. Kuhn noted that they are in communication with the aforementioned parties.

Zero TikTok accounts within Hesse's state government

Neither the state chancellery nor the ministries in Hesse maintain TikTok accounts, according to Kuhn. The state government communicates its activities through a wide range of channels, fulfilling its constitutional obligations. As a result, they would not be directly impacted by a TikTok ban.

In April, a US law went into effect, necessitating a change of ownership at the short video app. This could potentially bar Tiktok from American app stores if the China-based Bytedance Group continues to own the app after a year. The rationale behind this is the possibility of China accessing data and exerting political influence. Tiktok has filed a lawsuit against the law. The company claims to be 60% owned by Western investors and to have its headquarters on the Cayman Islands in the Caribbean.

State guardians voice concerns over data breaches

Numerous politicians have recently joined TikTok, including Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD). Civilian Guardianship Commissioner of Thuringia, Stephan Kramer, issued a caution: "Tiktok operates like a Trojan horse." It extracts contacts from users' address books and can read keystrokes on the keyboard.

The Hessian state chancellery added that the Hesse Finance Ministry had used TikTok for job market initiatives due to the tightened job market. Additionally, in 2023, the Cultural Ministry collaborated with a marketing agency to book advertising time with four influencers and influencers who are also active on TikTok, to attract young teachers.

Response from the state government to a parliamentary inquiry by the FDP state faction in Hesse

Read also:

1. The Hesse state government, located in Wiesbaden, believes that a unified approach with the Federal Government is necessary to address issues related to TikTok, the popular social media platform.
2. The EU is also part of the collaborative effort suggested by Hesse, as concerns over TikTok's data security and potential political influence are shared among various governments, including Germany and the United States.
3. Benedikt Kuhn, head of the state chancellery in Wiesbaden, confirmed that none of the ministries in Hesse have TikTok accounts due to the state government's diverse communication channels.
4. The potential ban of TikTok in America due to ownership issues with the China-based Bytedance Group raises concerns, as the app may be barred from American app stores if China continues to have control after a year.
5. German politicians like Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz have joined TikTok, while Thuringia's Civilian Guardianship Commissioner, Stephan Kramer, expressed concerns about the app operating like a "Trojan horse", potentially leading to data breaches.
6. The Hessian state chancellery reported that the Hesse Finance Ministry used TikTok for job market initiatives and that the Cultural Ministry collaborated with a marketing agency to book advertising time on the platform in 2023, involving TikTok influencers.

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