French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday used the wildly popular but controversial social media app TikTok for the first time to congratulate French school leavers after their exam results.

"The first thing to say is bravo, congratulations, it is the fruit of your work," said Macron in a video filmed in the garden of the Elysee Palace.

But he also told the teenage viewers they belonged to a "generation which we are calling sometimes the world after", referring to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said that the new generation must create a world that is "stronger, shows more solidarity and is more ecological", while adding: "It is not me who will decide your future, it is you."

Macron's message follows local elections last month which indicated young voters in urban centres are increasingly voting green.

TikTok, which is owned by China's ByteDance, has over the last months become a global sensation with users -- especially young people -- sharing 15 to 60-second video clips

But there has been increasing controversy over how it collects and uses data, although it has repeatedly denied sharing any user information with Chinese authorities.

India banned TikTok over national security concerns following a deadly border clash between its soldiers and Chinese forces.

And US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said Washington is also looking at banning Chinese social media apps including TikTok.

Despite its ownership, TikTok is not available in mainland China, where ByteDance offers a variant called Douyin.

Related Links
Satellite-based Internet technologies

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Facebook's Zuckerberg to meet activists, won't act on boycott
Washington (AFP) July 2, 2020
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has agreed to a new meeting with activists on the social media giant's content policies while vowing to resist pressure from an advertiser boycott, the company said Thursday. The news comes amid increased pressure on the leading social network to clamp down on incendiary content which promotes racism and violence, which has gained momentum with more tan 650 advertisers joining a boycott. Zuckerberg told an employee meeting this week the boycott is not likely to h ... read more