TikTok, for Terzi (Fdi) Italy and the EU must fight Chinese disinformation

Either sell, or close. The United States is pushing legislation that would force ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, to sell its shares to non-Chinese shareholders or see the app banned from American soil and smartphones. On Saturday the Chamber will vote on the aid package for Israel and Ukraine, within which the rule on TikTok has also been included, with one modification: instead of six months, the company would have up to a year to find “drinkable” buyers . If the United States is ready for a bipartisan law to remove control of the platform from the Chinese government (as much as TikTok may deny, all Chinese companies, by law, are subject to the control and direction of Beijing), what does Europe do , and in particular Italy? Adnkronos contacted Senator Giulio Terzi di Sant'Agata, president of the Senate EU Policies Commission.

“TikTok is one of the most dangerous and risky platforms,” begins Terzi, “not only due to the harmful impact on young people, now demonstrated, but because it depends on the Chinese regime and does not guarantee any type of reliability. It is used by Russia and China to push propaganda that pollutes our public debate, particularly on issues related to Ukraine and Gaza. Yesterday, Minister Antonio Tajani and Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed a fundamental Memorandum of Understanding between the Italian and American governments, precisely to combat disinformation and foreign information manipulation. If the United States, our ally in NATO, prepares a law that forces TikTok to be disinvested by Chinese shareholders, I believe that Europe must act as soon as possible to coordinate decisive action to protect our democratic process”, continues the Senator Terzi.

“I know from Silicon Valley experts, who have analyzed data and brought very clear evidence, that China has hired hundreds of European and American influencers, each with tens of thousands of followers, to push its anti-Western vision. TikTok is a very widespread app, but this time politics (for now only American) does not give in to the 'belly' of citizens but puts their mental well-being and respect for freedom and the rule of law first”, concludes Terzi.