TikTok and Social Media Dilemma Ahead of the European Elections

The European Union is investigating TikTok and various social media. On the other hand, politicians use social media for campaigns.

AP/MARIAM ZUHAIB

Tiktok supporter rally in Washington DC, United States, on April 23, 2024.

There are 142 million Tiktok users in the European Union, most of whom are young. They are the reason some European Union politicians continue to use the application which a number of Western countries are trying to ban. Others refuse to use the application.

"I don't want young people to receive information from propaganda or misinformation. So, we are going there (Tiktok)," said the Chair of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola in an interview with Euronews on Wednesday (1/5/2024).

Also read: ByteDance Chooses Tiktok to Die in the US Instead of Selling Shares

He is one of the politicians who decided to campaign on Tiktok ahead of the European Parliament elections on June 6-9, 2024. Meanwhile, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, refused to use Tiktok as a campaign tool.

Metsola argued that Belgium, Germany, Malta and Austria allow residents aged 16 years and over to vote. Meanwhile, Greece sets 17 years as the youngest voting age. In other EU members, the age of the youngest voters is slightly higher than in the five countries. As in a number of other regions and countries, young people in the European Union also use TikTok and various social media platforms.

AFP/JADE GAO

Students at the Mede School of E-Commerce Technology in Guangzhou, China, practice trading on Tiktok in early April 2024.

In an IPSOS poll with CEVIPOF and Institut Montaigne, it was revealed that the majority of young voters will not vote. Only 31 percent of respondents aged 18-24 plan to vote in the European Parliament elections.

Didn't choose

French media, Le Monde, wrote that most young voters said they were too busy studying. Thus, they will find it difficult to allocate time to queue to vote. Others argued that they did not have an idea of ​​a candidate or party that could be in line with their aspirations.

Also read: Influenced by Propaganda on Tiktok, Ex-German Soldier Becomes Russian Spy

For the second reason, the European Commission and some parties launched Palumba. The application is like Tinder. Swipe right if you match with a candidate or a certain political view. If not, just swipe left. Based on those choices, Palumba will recommend parties or candidates that are suitable for young and new voters.

The beta version of Palumba has been accessible since Tuesday evening (30/4/2024). The mass download is targeted to start on May 9, 2024, which coincides with Europe Day.

KOMPAS/TANGKAPAN LAYAR/KRIS MADA

Palumba Page, an application for young and new voters in the European Union elections. The app will be launched on a mass scale on May 9, 2024.

The name of the application is taken from Columba palumbus, the Latin name for a pigeon that is often found in Europe. The application uses a dove as its symbol.

The idea behind the creation of this application is to translate political ideas into everyday language for young people. The hope is that it can trigger political discourse among young people and ultimately motivate them to vote.

Also read: US Moves Closer to Banning Tiktok

This idea originated during the Alpbach European Forum in the Alps Mountains, Austria, in August 2023. "The logic is not to influence the vote in a certain direction, but to clarify that there are parties who support their ideas. Therefore, it may be beneficial to give a vote," said Thomas Garnier, Secretary and Research and Development Coordinator of Palumba.

Before Palumba, a voting recommendation application had been used in Europe and overseas. Its positive impact on voter participation has been proven. For instance, in the 2022 French presidential campaign, there was a similar application called Elyze.

AFP/NOAH SEELAM

Protest against TikTok in Hyderabad, India, in June 2020.

This application is very popular, reaching over 1.2 million downloads within two weeks. However, the application has been criticized for suspected political bias, including unclear sources and amounts of personal data taken, as well as weak user data protection.

Big investigation

Von der Leyen's rejection of the use of Tiktok is, among other things, because she wants to be consistent with her stance. She called Tiktok dangerous. In fact, the European Commission has started an investigation into Tiktok. European Commission employees are urged to delete Tiktok from their phones.

Also read: Social Media Contributes to Violations in the 2024 Election

Even Tiktok is not the only one being scrutinized or at least heavily regulated by the EU for the 2024 elections. Starting from Tuesday (30/4/2024), the EU is investigating Facebook and Instagram, which are under Meta. The social media platforms from the United States are considered to have failed to prevent disinformation and misinformation ahead of the elections.

TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram are being examined based on the Digital Services Act (DSA) law. The regulation forces technology companies to do more to protect users in the online world. In addition to TikTok and Facebook, there are 19 other social media platforms and technology companies targeted by the DSA.

The European Commission has found initial indications that the regulation of advertising uploads on Meta is inadequate. There has been an increase in paid advertisements related to the European elections in recent times.

The increase is feared to harm EU residents and affect the election process. "This investigation aims to ensure effective action is taken, particularly in preventing Instagram and Facebook's vulnerabilities from being exploited by foreign interference," said EU Internal Trade Commissioner Thierry Breton.

Also read: Mass Media Plays a Role in Encouraging Citizen Participation in Observing Regional Elections

The European Parliament has approved regulations limiting political advertisements on social media. Sponsors from third countries are prohibited from paying for political advertisements on social media up to three months before the election.

Every political advertisement should also be clearly labeled and include information, including who paid for it and how much it cost. This plan was proposed by the European Commission in 2021 to increase the transparency of political advertisements in order to protect electoral integrity.

AP PHOTO/TONY AVELAR

Meta headquarters in California, United States, in October 2021.

However, civil society groups, including Access Now, criticize that the rule has little impact on the EU Elections. "Although transparency measures in this new law are expected to prevent voter manipulation and protect personal data of the community from abuse in the coming years, it will not have much impact on the 2024 European elections," said Access Now in a statement. (AFP/REUTERS)