Guardian Weekly

What took the west so long to realise TikTok is no good for any of us?

As of now, government officials in 11 countries are forbidden to run TikTok on their government-issued phones. The countries include the US, Canada, Denmark, Belgium, the UK, New Zealand, Norway, France, the Netherlands and Poland. In addition, European Commission and European parliament staff were required to delete the app. This raises two questions.

First, why were politicians and senior officials in democracies scrolling like zombies through dance crazes, daft pet videos, feeling “bonita” and things

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Guardian Weekly

Guardian Weekly3 min read
Heads Up
When 42-year-old Myrthe Boss gets on her bike to go shopping in the Dutch town of Ede, she pops on a helmet. This act, considered essential in many countries, marks out Boss as something of a radical in the Netherlands, where helmet-wearing is rare.
Guardian Weekly16 min read
‘You Asked Me Questions That I’ve Never Asked Myself. That May Seem Funny, But Part Of Being Keir Is Just Ploughing On ’ The Man Likely To Be Britain’s Next PM
BUT THEN HE CAN’T REALLY SAY if he’s strictly an optimist or a pessimist and, no, doesn’t know if he’s an extrovert or an introvert, either. “I’ve never really thought about it. I don’t know what that tells you.” He doesn’t know what he dreamed last
Guardian Weekly3 min readPolitical Ideologies
Opinion Letters
Letters for publication weekly.letters@theguardian.com Please include a full postal address and a reference to the article. We may edit letters. Submission and publication of all letters is subject to our terms and conditions, see: THEGUARDIAN.COM/LE

Related Books & Audiobooks