Biden acknowledges TikTok as security risk, joins platform
Joe Biden TikTok video (@BidenHQ/X)
President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign joined TikTok on Sunday, a platform Biden banned on all federal government-owned devices due to national security concerns.
Biden’s team launched its first video, captioned ”lol hey guys,” on the Chinese-owned video-sharing platform during the Super Bowl on Sunday. The video, which has garnered more than five million views as of Monday afternoon, features the 81-year-old president answering several questions about the championship game.
Asked by his aide whether he would be supporting the Kansas City Chiefs or the San Francisco 49ers, the president responded, “Two great quarterbacks. Hard to decide, but if I didn’t say I was for the Eagles, then I’d be sleeping alone. My wife’s a Philly girl.”
Biden also said he would “get in trouble” if he answered his aide’s question about an online conspiracy theory that Taylor Swift’s relationship with Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce and the Chiefs’ Super Bowl win were orchestrated to get the president reelected in November.
While campaign aides noted the president is not personally managing the account, his campaign’s move to TikTok has raised eyebrows. Critics of the platform in the United States have raised alarm that the Chinese Communist Party could access and exploit American users’ data on the popular platform.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R., Mo.) introduced the No TikTok on Government Devices Act in 2020 in response to national security concerns about TikTok. The bill, which passed in Congress and was signed into law by Biden in 2022, prohibits the use of TikTok on all federal government devices.
The Biden campaign’s TikTok launch may be an attempt to appeal to more young Americans amid the president’s poor poll numbers and an unflattering special counsel report released on Feb. 8. Biden, according to Special Counsel Robert Hur, is a ”well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”
What are the criticisms and concerns surrounding Biden’s decision to join TikTok, and how does it reflect the challenges of technology and politics
His favorite halftime show. The video ends with Biden waving goodbye and the caption, “See you next time #TikTok!”
The decision to join TikTok comes as a surprise considering Biden’s past stance on the platform. In 2020, as the Democratic nominee, Biden raised concerns about TikTok’s connection to the Chinese government and its potential threat to national security. He called for a ban on the app’s use on all federal government-owned devices.
However, Biden’s campaign team seems to have changed their tune. They now see the platform as an opportunity to reach a younger audience and amplify their message. With over 100 million active users in the United States alone, TikTok has become a popular platform for political campaigns to engage with voters.
But the move has not been without criticism. Some argue that Biden’s decision to join TikTok contradicts his previous concerns about the app’s security. They see it as a political move aimed at gaining popularity among younger voters rather than a genuine change in stance.
Furthermore, the continued presence of TikTok on federal government-owned devices raises questions about the effectiveness of the ban. It highlights the challenges of enforcing such bans and the difficulty of keeping up with rapidly evolving technology.
Ultimately, whether Biden’s decision to join TikTok is seen as a savvy campaign move or as a security risk, it demonstrates the power and influence of social media platforms in today’s political landscape.
As politicians increasingly turn to platforms like TikTok to connect with voters, it is crucial that they balance the potential benefits with the risks. National security concerns should not be taken lightly, and any platform used by politicians must be thoroughly vetted to ensure it does not compromise the safety of our country.
Only time will tell how Biden’s TikTok presence will play out and whether it will impact his reelection campaign positively or negatively. In the meantime, it serves as a reminder of the complex challenges that arise from the intersection of technology and politics.
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