TikTok users glorify gunmen: A frightening trend!

TikTok users glorify gunmen: A frightening trend!

In the current debate about the TikTok platform, the company is criticized for romanticizing violent criminals and serious data protection violations. A few days ago, reports about the glorification of the gunman Arthur A. shocked the public. He killed nine students and a teacher in the rampage in Graz. Users on TikTok use the platform to portray the alleged perpetrator in a positive light, which is met with widespread rejection. The videos, which show the perpetrator in a romanticized context and are accompanied by approving comments, provoke worried reactions. What's particularly disturbing is that the perpetrator's personal information, including his mother's address, was posted in comments. Despite TikTok's theoretical guidelines against such content, reports have little impact and the number of similar videos is growing.

The problem is illustrated by a case in which a reader reported that her report was rejected in relation to data protection. Apparently there are serious failures in monitoring content and protecting sensitive data on the platform. Memories of the similar case of the school shooting in Villach are awakened, in which the perpetrator was celebrated as a “national hero”, which further fuels the debate about the responsibility of social media.

Data Protection Law Violations

However, TikTok's difficulties are not limited to its glorification of violence. The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) has fined the company €345 million for breaches of the EU Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This penalty particularly concerns the unsafe settings of the platform and the inadequate age verification when registering, which puts the security of minors' data into question. The DPC launched the investigation in September 2021 to assess the period from summer to the end of 2020, as TikTok has its headquarters in Ireland and is therefore subject to European law.

TikTok has a large user base in the EU, with over 130 million members. Nevertheless, the company argues that the problems identified relate to settings that took effect three years ago. Dissatisfaction with the level of the penalty has led TikTok to consider reviewing the process. The platform therefore sees itself as having a double responsibility: both with regard to the content that is distributed on its site and with regard to the handling of its users' personal data.

Impact on users and society

The incidents surrounding TikTok raise a critical question about the impact of social media platforms on society. Romanticizing gunmen and other violent individuals could not only promote dangerous idealizations, but also convey a distorted image of reality and responsibility. Shouldn't companies like TikTok take greater responsibility for the content they host? The current situation could serve as a wake-up call for lawmakers and society as a whole to think more deeply about regulating social media and protecting children and young people.

The debate surrounding TikTok is important because it not only affects the platform itself, but has far-reaching implications for how we address privacy, security and the way violence is positioned in the digital world. The combination of problematic content and legal troubles could force TikTok to reorient itself.