Medical and Hospital News
INTERNET SPACE
UK's Starmer launches Tiktok account despite ban

UK's Starmer launches Tiktok account despite ban

by AFP Staff Writers
London (AFP) Dec 8, 2025

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer launched a TikTok account on Monday despite the app being banned from government devices, as he attempts to connect to younger voters.

A spokesman for his office said "security mitigations" were in place to operate the Prime Minister's account.

"Tiktok, follow me," Starmer said in the first video posted on the account which showed him with his wife at the ceremony to switch on Downing Street's Christmas lights.

The second video showed Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky embracing Starmer outside his residence at 10 Downing Street, before they joined France's President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for talks on proposals to end the war in Ukraine.

In March 2023 London banned the use of Tiktok on government devices over data security concerns linked to the popular video sharing app's Chinese parent company ByteDance.

Similar bans exist in many other Western countries.

Prior to that ban, an official "10 Downing Street" account was launched in May 2022 when Boris Johnson was prime minister, but it stopped posting videos just three months later.

"Restrictions on the use of the app on most government devices remain in place and there's no changes to our security policy when it comes to TikTok," Starmer's spokesman said.

The move is seen as Starmer's latest attempt to connect more directly with voters, as he and his government struggle with stubbornly low popularity ratings.

On Friday, Starmer launched a Substack newsletter where he championed the government's measures which seek to tackle child poverty.

"Communication is changing, and I want to be a part of that... That's why I'm now on Substack," Starmer wrote on the newsletter-sharing platform popular among writers and journalists.

The government has also embraced influencers, with two personal finance content creators given front row seats at a recent press conference.

Despite concerns about data security and other issues, TikTok remains one of the world's most popular social media apps, with around 1.5 billion users worldwide and more than 30 million regular users in the United Kingdom.

Starmer joins other world leaders including Macron, US President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the platform.

Related Links
Satellite-based Internet technologies

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
INTERNET SPACE
'Not black or white': Teens worldwide react to Australia social media ban
Hong Kong (AFP) Dec 8, 2025
Australia's landmark move to ban under-16s from social media will be closely watched by other countries, which could follow suit with similar laws. AFP spoke to teenagers and adults around the world about the Australian ban, which comes in on Wednesday. Here are some of their reactions: - Mumbai: 'Nothing is black or white' - At the seafront in India's Mumbai, 19-year-old Pratigya Jena scrolls with her friends through Instagram videos of a posing influencer and a camel at a beach. Social ... read more

INTERNET SPACE
Survivors, families seek answers to deadly Hong Kong ferry disaster

China launches campaign against fire hazards; as calls for accountability over HK fire silenced

China FM pledges support for Syria in 'achieving peace'

Drenched and displaced: Gazans living in tents face winter downpours

INTERNET SPACE
Ancient 'animal GPS system' identified in magnetic fossils

Centimeter-level RTK positioning now available for IoT deployments

Nanometer precision ranging demonstrated across 113 kilometers sets new benchmark for space measurement

PntGuard delivers maritime resilience against navigation signal interference

INTERNET SPACE
Turkey basilica emerges from lake, illuminating early Church life

Thailand's last hunter-gatherers seek land rights

Brazil defines boundaries for 10 new Indigenous territories

Understanding the nuances of human-like intelligence

INTERNET SPACE
Australia overhauls decades-old environmental laws

Wild cat species in Guatemala adapt hunting heights to avoid food competition

France bids farewell to beloved pandas bound for China

Rhino horn sales, shark protection on wildlife talks agenda

INTERNET SPACE
Brazil approves world's first single-dose dengue vaccine

Flood-hit Mexican town digs out debris, fearing disease outbreaks

INTERNET SPACE
China's 'Singles Day' shopping fest loses its shine for weary consumers

Daughter of 'underground' pastor urges China for his release

Unruffled by Trump, Chinese parents chase 'American dream' for kids

China dreams of football glory at last... in gaming

INTERNET SPACE
US killed survivors of strike on alleged drug boat: reports

Thailand suspends prison boss over alleged privileges for Chinese inmates

Pentagon boss to visit Dominican Republic amid US-Venezuela row

Petro denies news report of intel breach, blames CIA

INTERNET SPACE
Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.