U.S. President Joe Biden's election campaign launched its official TikTok account despite the app being banned by the U.S. government. Since TikTok is not allowed in most government-issued devices, many Americans will think that this is hypocrisy.
This is because Joe Biden signed legislation back in 2022, which barred most federal government-owned devices from using TikTok. It was a part of the Biden Admin's massive omnibus spending bill.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event at Montgomery County Community College January 5, 2024 in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. In his first campaign event of the 2024 election season, Biden stated that democracy and fundamental freedoms are under threat.
The approval of the legislation was a big win for the U.S. government against China in Congress. After that, New York City and some U.S. states followed the Biden Admin and banned TikTok on government-issued devices in 2023.
But, if the U.S. government is against the use of TikTok, why did the Biden election campaign create an account on the platform?
Joe Biden Election Campaign Creates TikTok Account
CNBC reported that advisors of Joe Biden's election campaign explained why they created the new TikTok account. They said that this is needed to meet voters where they are.
What they said is true since TikTok remains one of the most popular apps among younger Americans. Aside from its popularity, TikTok is also important for many people.
The Pew Research Center revealed in 2023 that around 1/3 of Americans between 18 to 19 years old get their daily news on TikTok. By creating the new TikTok account, Joe Biden's election campaign advisors are expecting it to help them reach more young voters and share what POTUS plans to do if he wins the upcoming presidential election.
As of writing, the Biden Administration and TikTok are in a love-hate relationship. This is because the U.S. government is introducing stricter regulations against it, as well as pressuring ByteDance to sell the app.
Although this is the case, the Biden Admin still takes advantage of TikTok by courting TikTok influencers to help engage with people and spread public service messages.
Not the First Time for Joe Biden
This photo illustration shows the TikTok logo reflected in an image of the US flag, in Washington, DC, on March 16, 2023. - China urged the United States to stop "unreasonably suppressing" TikTok on March 16, 2023, after Washington gave the popular video-sharing app an ultimatum to part ways with its Chinese owners or face a nationwide ban.
Using TikTok for campaigns is not new for Joe Biden's team. In 2022, The Verge reported that the non-profit group Building Back Together launched its own TikTok account.
This Biden-affiliated group created it in order to engage with young people and inform them about Joe Biden's agenda before the 2022 midterm elections happened.
The Building Back Together said that it would use the TikTok account to create content inspired by TikTok features and trends. These include using the green screen function to explain Joe Biden's agenda.
This could also be the plan for the new TikTok account of Joe Biden's 2024 election campaign. If you're one of the president's supporters, you can follow the new TikTok account by searching for "@bidenhq."
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