A new petition posted to the Chamber's petition site calls for restrictions on the use of video platform TikTok to prevent the "dumbing-down of our young people".

Besides the platform "offering addictive content to our youngest children", the petitioner also cites espionage worries and complex IT coding that is "very difficult to decipher".

"In a world where disinformation and manipulation are common currency, it is the duty of the state to protect the intellectual integrity of our young people."

The petition further states that the content of TikTok in Europe is completely different from that of China.

"A recent survey shows that young people in Europe want to become influencers while young people in China want to become astronauts", the author writes, however not linking a source.

Petition 2701 was published on 12 April and will need to acquire at least 4,500 signatures within the next six weeks for it to be debated by MPs in the Chamber.

It does not suggest ways the platform could be restricted by law.

RTL

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For security reasons, the European institutions have banned the download and use of TikTok on the work devices of their staff. Luxembourg chose to not follow the EU's lead, however saying it will monitor any new data security concerns.

Meanwhile, Utah was the first US state to require sites like TikTok and Instagram to get parental consent for accounts use dby under-18s, citing security risks such as online bullying and personal data collection.

Tech firms have warned it could curtail access to online resources for marginalised teens, such as educational content.

In 2021, US teens spent an average of 91 minutes a day on the platform.