Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer has launched a TikTok account on Monday, even though the platform remains prohibited on government-issued devices, as part of a wider effort to strengthen his connection with younger citizens.
According to a spokesman from his office, “security mitigations” have been arranged to allow the Prime Minister to run the account safely.
In the inaugural video, Starmer declared, “Tiktok, follow me,” while appearing alongside his wife during the event marking the lighting of Downing Street’s Christmas decorations.
A follow-up video showed Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky greeting Starmer outside 10 Downing Street before both leaders were joined by France’s President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for discussions centered on potential solutions to end the conflict in Ukraine.
Back in March 2023, London prohibited TikTok from government devices due to concerns regarding data safety tied to the app’s Chinese parent firm, ByteDance.
Comparable restrictions remain active in numerous Western nations.
Before this ban took effect, an official “10 Downing Street” account was introduced in May 2022 under former prime minister Boris Johnson, though it stopped uploading videos merely three months later.
Starmer’s spokesman reiterated that “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.”
This step is being viewed as Starmer’s renewed attempt to communicate more personally with the public at a time when he and his administration continue to grapple with persistently low approval ratings.
Just last Friday, Starmer unveiled a Substack newsletter where he highlighted government initiatives designed to reduce child poverty.
“Communication is changing, and I want to be a part of that… That’s why I’m now on Substack,” he wrote on the platform, which is widely used by journalists and writers.
His government has also leaned into influencer collaborations, recently giving two personal finance content creators prime seating at a national press briefing.
Despite ongoing criticism over data privacy and other matters, TikTok continues to rank among the most widely used social platforms globally, attracting roughly 1.5 billion users worldwide and over 30 million active users across the United Kingdom.
By joining TikTok, Starmer aligns himself with other global leaders already on the platform, such as Macron, US President Donald Trump, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
What You Should Know
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s decision to join TikTok reflects a strategic move to communicate more directly with younger audiences despite the platform’s ban on government devices due to security concerns.
His office insists that “security mitigations” allow safe use of the account, which already features videos involving global leaders and official events. This initiative follows his launch of a Substack newsletter and growing use of influencers by the government.
TikTok remains hugely popular worldwide, making it a valuable communication channel. Starmer’s presence places him alongside other international leaders who use the platform to broaden their outreach.
