Agency Report –
Young people in Germany often hold differing foreign policy views compared to the general population, particularly those using the Chinese-owned video app TikTok, a survey published on Monday revealed.
The study, conducted by the Allensbach Institute on behalf of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, found that 67% of respondents aged 16 to 29 agreed with the statement that China is a dictatorship. Among TikTok users, the figure dropped to 62%, while agreement was significantly higher at 81% among all respondents.
A similar trend emerged regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While 70% of 16- to 29-year-olds agreed that “Russia is conducting an illegal war of aggression against Ukraine,” overall agreement was higher at 78%. Among TikTok users, agreement fell to 66%, according to the survey.
TikTok’s influence extended beyond foreign policy. The survey found that 25% of the general population believed the coronavirus pandemic was deliberately created to exert greater control over the population. This belief was nearly twice as prevalent among TikTok users, with 44% expressing agreement.
“Young people are significantly more receptive to disinformation and TikTok plays a crucial role in this. We must not allow Chinese and Russian disinformation to spread further in our midst,” commented Sabine Leutheuser-Schnarrenberger, the deputy chairwoman of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, on the results of the study.
The video app TikTok is owned by the ByteDance corporation, which is based in China.
For the survey the Allensbach Institute questioned a representative group of 2,092 people aged 16 and over between November 28 and December 4, 2024.
