Starmer Joins TikTok Despite Government Ban

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has launched an official TikTok account, despite the continued ban on the app across government devices since 2023 due to security concerns linked to its parent company, ByteDance.

In his first TikTok video, Starmer encouraged viewers to follow him as he switched on the Downing Street Christmas lights alongside his wife.

Starmer has also released a newsletter on the Substack platform, promising regular updates to explain government decisions and the reasoning behind them.

According to the Independent, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s office said the account operates under special security measures and stressed that the government’s policy on TikTok remains unchanged. 

The spokesperson noted that restrictions on using the app on most government devices remain in place and that there have been no adjustments to the UK’s security stance regarding TikTok. Additional mitigations have been implemented, similar to those used for the UK government’s official account.

Starmer’s move is seen as an effort to reach a wider audience and engage with the public through modern communication channels. The approach mirrors the UK government’s own TikTok presence, which launched earlier this year to share public information messages, according to the Independent.

The spokesperson added that the government is committed to engaging with the public wherever they are, recognizing that communication methods are evolving and that people deserve clear explanations of government decisions and how they are made. TikTok, they said, is simply another tool to reach that broader audience.