US Presidential Election 2024: Joe Biden's Campaign Joins TikTok (Image: X/@JoeBiden)
United States President Joe Biden”s campaign has joined TikTok ahead of the US presidential election in November this year. Notably, Biden”s campaign made this move amid widespread data-security concerns in the US over the social media platform”s Beijing-based parent company.
Joe Biden”s team also posted its first video on Sunday. The 26-second clip, captioned “lol hey guys,” showed the US President being quizzed on Sunday”s Super Bowl. According to an Associated Press report, this TikTok account will be run entirely by the campaign team. Joe Biden or others in his administration are not expected to personally join the video-sharing platform.
The latest move is part of campaign”s effort to reach young American voters. TikTok is one of the most popular social media networks in the US. According to Apple, it was the number-one-ranked iPhone application in 2022.
Notably, the US administration”s policy has previously been critical of TikTok. In December 2022, Joe Biden approved banning TikTok from federal government phones. Several states have also adopted similar measures against TikTok. US lawmakers have raised their concern that TikTok and its parent company may put sensitive user data into the hands of the Chinese government. The lawmakers are also worried that the Chinese government may use the app”s algorithm to amplify pro-China narratives. Responding to the questions to where the US administration stands on TikTok, White House spokesman John Kirby said that the app is still not allowed on government devices. “That policy remains the case, and I just can’t speak for the campaign or their decisions,” added John Kirby, as quoted by ABC News.
At the same time, Biden”s campaign officials said that they were taking all security measures and incorporating security protocols to ensure safety, reported Associated Press. The campaign already has a strong presence on other social media platforms, including X, Threads, Instagram, and Facebook.
