Tom Tugendhat attacks Tory rivals for using TikTok amid China security fear

Ex-security minister distances himself from fellow leadership candidates

Tom Tugendhat has taken a swipe at his Tory leadership rivals for using TikTok to promote their campaigns despite concerns over its links to China.
The former security minister insisted he would be staying off the platform because he does not want to encourage people to use an app that critics fear could be used as a tool of the Chinese state.
In a video posted on X, formerly Twitter, he distanced himself from fellow candidates who have appeared on TikTok by outlining his reasons for shunning the platform.
He captioned the clip: “Unlike other candidates, you won’t have seen my videos on TikTok. Here’s why.”
Of the five other contenders to replace Rishi Sunak, only James Cleverly has his own TikTok page.
However, all five have participated in a series of 60-second videos on the Conservative Party’s official account to coincide with the leadership campaign.
In the clips, posted in recent days, each candidate faces a string of quick-fire questions about their political careers, personal preferences and top priorities for the party.
In his video, Mr Tugendhat said he would be staying off the app because of concerns over its links to China.
He claimed the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) does not share “any of our values” in Britain, pointing to the suppression of protests in Hong Kong and the treatment of the Uyghur community in Xinjiang.
TikTok is owned entirely as a subsidiary of the tech firm ByteDance Ltd, which is headquartered in Beijing.
Critics have raised concerns that the CCP could use the app to promote its narrative. There have also been widespread national security fears stemming from Chinese laws that compel organisations to assist with intelligence gathering.
However, TikTok has long denied that it could be used as a tool of the Chinese government.
In response to Mr Tugendhat’s video, a TikTok spokesman said: “No government influences our algorithm, which, unlike any other platform, is subject to independent third-party oversight from a US company.
“Our parent company is majority-owned by international investors, many of whom are US firms, and respected UK news organisations have followings of tens of millions of people on our platform.”