The Biden re-election campaign will continue to use TikTok to reach out to voters — despite the president enacting a law Wednesday that could see the social media app banned in a matter of months, The Post has learned.
“A fragmented media environment requires us to show up and meet voters where they are — and that includes online. TikTok is one of many places we’re making sure our content is being seen by voters,” a Biden campaign rep said.
“When the stakes are this high in the election, we are going to use every tool we have to reach young voters where they are,” the person added, claiming the campaign is using “enhanced security measures.”
President Biden signed a bill Wednesday that would force the Chinese government-linked company ByteDance to spin off TikTok within nine months or face the platform being banned in the US.
White House officials have previously said they see how the app could pose national security concerns. AFP via Getty ImagesIf a sale is in progress at the nine-month mark, ByteDance will have another three months to complete the divestment.
That timeline could also be pushed back by legal challenges, which TikTok has already threatened in response to the new law.
Hours after Biden signed the bill, his 2024 campaign posted a new video on its TikTok page that featured Biden dragging former President Donald Trump for thinking “windmills cause cancer.”
The “bidenhq” account has more than 300,000 followers and has posted more than 100 videos since it launched in February. The videos often show clips of the president and his allies, mockery of Trump or explanations of political news.
The Biden campaign’s TikTok page was launched in February. Tiktok / bidenhq
The Biden campaign said TikTok will be useful given that the “stakes are this high” in the 2024 election. AFP via Getty ImagesCritics have warned of national security risks posed by TikTok’s links to the Chinese Communist Party, including the possession of millions of Americans’ data and the influence the app has on America’s youth.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told CBS News’ “Face the Nation” in March that Biden “absolutely” sees “national security concerns on that application and he’s banned it on government devices.”
On Wednesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the bill is about wanting to ensure Americans are “protected,” and is not about a ban.
“This is not a ban. This is about divestment. This is about our national security. We are not saying that we do not want Americans to use TikTok, that is not what we’re saying. We want to make sure that Americans are protected, are protected, and that is what this is about … We’re not saying we do not want TikTok to exist,” Jean-Pierre said during the White House briefing.
Both Biden and Trump are vying to reach younger voters, the primary demographic of TikTok users, with their campaigns.
The 45th president — who does not have a TikTok account — recently admonished younger supporters to remember that it was Biden who signed the bill potentially leading to the ban of the popular social platform.
Trump tried to ban TikTok during his administration but has recently come out against restrictions, arguing it would only lead to companies like Facebook having a greater monopoly on the market and help that platform censor conservatives.
