President Joe Biden has attempted to reach younger Americans by joining TikTok, and posted his first video on Sunday—which showed Mr. Biden answering Super Bowl-themed questions ahead of the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers.
However, he has already received pushback from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for joining the Chinese-owned platform, which is banned on U.S. government devices due to data privacy and national security concerns. The White House has been accused of sending a mixed message over Biden’s use of the app.
The president signed legislation in 2022 blocking most federal government devices from using TikTok.
Besides the bad optics of having Biden post to a platform that lawmakers at the federal and numerous state levels have warned could compromise U.S. security, the question is why the president only now signed up.
“It is like young kids are hosting a party, things are going great and then they hear their grandfather is showing up late after not being invited,” said Scott Talan, assistant professor of public communications at American University.
Reaching A Disengaged Audience
Technology industry analyst Susan Schreiner of C4 Trends suggested that the Biden team could be tapping into a market that has simply been ignored by lawmakers. While the move to TikTok carries some degree of risk—the campaign has also announced it is taking “advanced safety precautions around our devices and incorporating a sophisticated security protocol to ensure security” while on the app.
“Despite government security concerns, and TikTok being banned on most U.S. government devices – it is a clever tactical move for Biden’s team to be leaning into the internet culture to reach younger voters through TikTok,” she explained. “Candidates have to face the fact that it is a platform where they can connect with key demographics—particularly in a media ecosystem that is more fragmented and personalized than ever. Today, people get their news from multiple ‘non-traditional’ sources, including TikTok.”