Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS) has opened a profile on the Chinese video-sharing app TikTok, Vaclav Smolka, director of the Government Office’s communication department, told CTK yesterday. He added that all security matters had been ensured.
Other politicians, especially opposition figures, have also previously set up accounts on TikTok.
“There are at least two million Czechs on TikTok today,” Smolka told CTK. “Our goal is not to turn Petr Fiala into an influencer, but to communicate the policies the prime minister is doing in a light and understandable way, to bring the younger generation closer to his work programme, opinions and view of the world.”
Last March, the National Cyber and Information Security Office (NUKIB) issued a warning against the installation and use of TikTok on devices with access to systems belonging to the critical information infrastructure and other important information systems. NUKIB’s concern about potential cyber threats stemmed mainly from the amount of user data being collected and the manner in which the data is collected and handled.
“Of course, we had to ensure security first and foremost. We have the app on a phone dedicated just for it and nowhere else, which helps us avoid possible misuse of sensitive data,” Smolka added.
Other politicians are doing the same.
Former PM and leader of the opposition ANO, Andrej Babis, told CTK last March that he had heeded NUKIB’s recommendations, and had TikTok on a special device used only for this application, which he did not use for any communication.
Labour and Social Affairs Minister and former Christian Democrat (KDU-CSL) chairman Marian Jurecka also pointed out that he did not have TikTok downloaded on his mobile phone for security reasons.
