Latvia: Telegram, TikTok pose risk to national security

The Russian and Chinese social media networks, Telegram and TikTok, are being used widely to spread content that poses risks to Latvia’s national security, according to the State Security Service (VDD), BNS reports. Unwanted content on the platforms includes disinformation, propaganda, and recruitment to criminal activity. Moreover, the platforms fail to monitor or delete such content effectively, VDD stated. However, any decision to ban the platforms in Latvia should be made politically. Also, such a ban would only be effective if imposed by all three Baltic States or the EU as a whole, VDD asserted. VDD’s statement was quoted at a meeting of the media policy subcommittee of the Latvian parliament, the Saeima, which was discussing the impact of social media platforms on public security.