The Federal Commissioner for Anti-Discrimination, Ferda Ataman, has criticized German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for his new Tiktok channel, @teambundeskanzler, which currently has nearly 96,000 followers. Ataman believes that platforms like Tiktok do not adequately protect users from hate speech. She called Scholz’s decision to open a channel on Tiktok the wrong strategy and a mistake, stating that the platform is not suitable for the government as long as it fails to protect young people from discrimination, hate speech, and misinformation.
Ataman highlighted Tiktok’s failure to comply with the rules and protect young people from discrimination, hate speech, and misinformation as a reason for her criticism. She mentioned that she recently closed the account of the Anti-Discrimination Office on X for similar reasons. Ataman also criticized the lack of implementation of the Digital Services Act, which requires social media platforms to ensure user protection. She pointed out that Tiktok has allowed right-wing extremists to gain significant traction on the platform, raising concerns about the government’s decision to engage on social media platforms without proper consideration of the consequences.
The European Digital Services Act mandates social media platform operators to ensure user protection, but Ataman expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of enforcement. She found it interesting that other countries, such as the USA, are considering stronger regulation or even banning Tiktok. Ataman dismissed the argument put forward by government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit that the government aims to reach new target audiences with its political content on Tiktok, stating that funny videos on social media are not the appropriate approach.
Ataman emphasized the need for content that resonates with young people and engages them in politics, suggesting policies that appeal to the youth, considering lowering the voting age to 16, and involving them in decision-making processes. She advised against using social media platforms like Tiktok for political communication, urging government officials and political parties to focus on meaningful and impactful engagement with young people. Ataman’s criticism underscores the growing concerns about the influence of social media platforms on politics and the need for responsible and ethical use of these platforms by public figures.
