【By Observer.com, Zhang Jingjuan】 Under the banner of "national security", banning government devices from using TikTok, yet actively embracing the app for personal political needs, this is the latest move by UK Prime Minister Starmer.

According to reports from British media such as The Daily Telegraph and The Independent, in an effort to win support from young people, on December 8th local time, Starmer launched a TikTok account, becoming another Western leader to join the platform after French President Macron and US President Trump.

In the first 13-second video posted on the account, Starmer was seen holding hands with his wife at the Christmas light ceremony at Downing Street, greeting users with the words "TikTok, follow me"; the second video focused on international politics, recording his embrace with Zelenskyy; the third gave considerable screen time to Britain's top cat star - Larry, as well as scenes of Starmer talking face-to-face with Zelenskyy, Macron, and German Chancellor Merkel.

As of the time of writing, Starmer's TikTok account has not followed anyone, with over 10,000 followers and nearly 20,000 likes.

Regarding this seemingly contradictory action compared to the government's previous policies, Starmer's spokesperson said, "The restrictions on the use of the application on most government devices remain in effect, and there have been no changes to our security policy regarding TikTok. Security mitigation measures have been taken, just like existing UK government accounts."

The spokesperson also explained, "We are committed to communicating with our audience where they are, and the way we communicate is changing. People have the right to know about the decisions being made by the government that affect them, and why and how these decisions are made. TikTok is just another way to achieve this goal and reach a broader audience."

The Daily Telegraph believes that Starmer's move is to find a "new way" to attract voters, and his call for viewers to "follow him" on this social platform is an effort to regain his declining support among Generation Z males.

Earlier this month, a survey by Find Out Now showed that the Green Party leads the Labour Party led by Starmer by four percentage points across all groups.

Another poll in October indicated that Reform Party has won the support of Generation Z males. The survey showed that if tomorrow's election were held, 31% of men aged 16 to 25 would support Reform Party leader Nigel Farage. This result means that Starmer's decision to grant voting rights to 16- and 17-year-olds may have the opposite effect.

It is worth noting that UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting recently also opened a personal TikTok account to promote his work in the government.

Starmer's TikTok account screenshot

Britain's attitude towards TikTok has always been inconsistent.

In May 2022, during the tenure of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, an official account called "Number 10 Downing Street" was launched, but it stopped updating after only three months.

In March 2023, Britain followed the United States' lead and announced a ban on government staff using TikTok on their work phones, although personal phones were not restricted.

In response, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the UK stated that the UK's decision was made for political reasons rather than based on facts, interfering with the normal operations of relevant companies in the UK, damaging the confidence of the international community in the UK's business environment, and ultimately harming the UK's own interests. We urge the UK to respect objective facts, abide by market economy rules and principles of fair competition, and not to generalize or abuse the concept of national security, providing a fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory business environment for enterprises around the world.

Notably, TikTok's influence has changed dramatically. Data shows that the platform has more than 200 million monthly active users in Europe, and in the UK, this number exceeds 30 million, almost half of the country's population.

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Original: toutiao.com/article/7581713682594382388/

Statement: The views expressed in this article are those of the author.