Germany urges EU to follow US model, put TikTok in European hands

Germany's Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer Tuesday urged Europe to follow the US model and place TikTok's European business 'in European hands.' This echoes ByteDance's move to cede control of US TikTok operations to a majority American-owned joint venture after facing a government ban threat. The minister expressed concerns about TikTok collecting data on Europe's young people on an 'unimaginably large scale,' with information flowing to servers of unknown origin. 'We are talking here about the most intimate data of Europe's youth,' he stated, adding that Europe doesn't know what happens to this information. TikTok has attempted to address EU concerns by storing European user data in Europe, but faces multiple investigations. The EU warned TikTok in February to change its 'addictive design' or face heavy fines, while the platform is also under scrutiny for alleged foreign interference during Romania's presidential elections. This reflects a growing trend toward local ownership of major social media platforms amid data privacy concerns. Should Nigeria and other African nations consider similar requirements for foreign-owned tech platforms operating in our region?

SOURCE: https://www.channelstv.com/2026/05/12/germany-wants-to-put-tiktok-in-european-hands/