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WASHINGTON — How much does President Joe Biden need young voters in this year’s election? Enough to get them on TikTok, despite the administration’s security concerns about the social media platform.
The Biden campaign launched Biden’s first TikTok account during the Super Bowl on Sunday night. “LOL, hey everyone,” Biden’s first post, which was attached to a 27-second video featuring the president, read.
TikTok, owned by Beijing-based ByteDance and used by 150 million people in the U.S., has been used by the Chinese government to access users’ personal data and create false information. The virus has been under intense scrutiny in Washington due to concerns that it could spread the virus.
The Biden administration last year threatened to ban TikTok if the app’s Chinese owners did not sell their shares in the company, the video-sharing app said. The administration also required federal agencies to remove TikTok from all government-issued devices, citing privacy concerns and the potential for data misuse.
The problem for Biden heading into the 2024 election: TikTok is where young voters spend their time. And the percentage of U.S. adults who say they regularly get their news from TikTok has more than quadrupled in just three years, a Pew Research Center study found.
Preparing to vote: See who’s running for president and compare their positions on important issues with our voter guide
According to Pew, 43% of TikTok users now say they regularly get news from the app, up from 33% who said the same in 2022.
“The campaign will continue to meet voters where they are and innovate to create content that resonates with key audiences and core constituencies that make up the president’s diverse and broad coalition of voters,” Biden campaign advisers said in a statement. ” he said.
TikTok is under review by a federal regulator known as the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States over potential safety issues.
John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator at the National Security Council, said the government’s concerns about TikTok remain despite the development of the TikTok campaign.
“From the NSC’s perspective, nothing has changed about the national security concerns regarding the use of TikTok on government devices,” Kirby said. “That policy continues today.”
Kirby said he could not say whether the White House consulted with the campaign regarding the decision to join TikTok.
TikTok is most popular among young voters and could play a key role for Biden in what is expected to be a rematch with former President Donald Trump. Biden won overwhelmingly among young voters in 2020, but a USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll conducted last month found Trump trailing Biden 37% to 33% among voters under 35. It turned out that he was in the lead. Many young voters are disgusted by Biden’s unwavering support for Israel in the Gaza war.
“We have advanced security measures in place around our devices and have built in advanced security protocols to ensure their safety,” Biden campaign advisers said in a statement. “The existence of this campaign is independent and separate from the ongoing CFIUS review.”
In Biden’s first TikTok post, a narrator asks him a serious question with an off-the-cuff answer. Biden refused to nominate the Kansas City Chiefs or San Francisco 49ers because “his wife is a Philadelphia girl.” Biden chose to watch the game over the halftime show and commercials, and when asked if he would choose between Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce, he answered, “Mama Kelce.”
Biden then poked fun at a popular conspiracy on the right.
Asked if the Chiefs are trying to rig the season so they can get to the Super Bowl or are they just a good football team, Biden said, “I would be in trouble if I said that.” he answered with a smile.
The video then shows his camp’s meme “Dark Brandon” before the narrator asks the final question. “Trump or Biden?” “Are you kidding?” Biden says. “Biden”
The video has been viewed nearly 5 million times as of Monday morning since it was released, and Biden’s TikTok account has amassed 47,000 followers.
Contact Joey Garrison at X (formerly Twitter, @joeygarrison)
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