Germans who rely on TikTok for news are less critical of China and Russia and more skeptical of climate change and vaccine effectiveness compared to consumers of traditional media, according to a recent survey by Allensbach, commissioned by a foundation linked to Germany’s liberal Free Democrats.
The poll highlights that only 28.1% of TikTok users fully agreed that China is a dictatorship, compared to 57% of newspaper readers and 56.5% of public TV viewers. Similarly, just 13.6% of TikTok users supported Western backing for Ukraine in its war against Russia, a view shared by 40.2% of national newspaper readers.
The findings come amid U.S. debates on whether to enforce a ban on TikTok over national security concerns, adding weight to arguments that the Chinese-owned app spreads misinformation that could undermine democratic societies.
Key Findings:
- Perception of China: TikTok users are less likely to view China as a dictatorship.
- Views on Russia: Fewer TikTok users see Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as illegal or support Germany aiding Kyiv.
- Skepticism on Vaccines and Climate Change: Only 69% of TikTok users under 29 agreed that vaccines saved millions of lives, compared to 71% of all under-29s.
- Distrust in Media: TikTok users are more likely to distrust traditional Western media and to believe the German government spreads misinformation, while being less critical of disinformation from China and Russia.
These attitudes align with broader trends among younger Germans, who are TikTok’s core demographic and have shown increased support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in recent elections.
Disinformation Concerns
The survey also raises alarms about foreign actors, especially Russia, spreading disinformation via social media platforms to advance their agendas. Researchers cited parallels with Romania, where a pro-Russian outsider gained significant traction through social media campaigns in a presidential election later annulled.
Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, deputy chair of the foundation behind the survey, emphasized TikTok’s influence, saying, “Young people are far more vulnerable to information, and TikTok plays a decisive role. We mustn’t allow Chinese and Russian misinformation to spread in our midst.”
TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, has not commented on the survey.
