When Joe Biden joined TikTok on the eve of the Super Bowl last month, political scientist Maggie McDonald was struck by the “meta” nature of the president’s first post.
In the video, Biden poked fun at conspiracy theories that the Super Bowl was rigged in favor of the Kansas City Chiefs in order to somehow aid his re-election efforts.
“Yeah, I’m old, but I’m on TikTok and I’m in this hyper-online place talking about this hyper-online concept,” McDonald, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Kentucky, said in this message. and the tone of Biden’s video.
Although Biden’s debut on the wildly popular social media app was playful, his use of TikTok during this year’s re-election campaign sparked heated debate in Washington, D.C., about whether the service should exist in the United States. It is the center of discussion. The app, owned by China’s ByteDance, is a valuable tool for trying to reach a large number of young potential voters who are cut off from mainstream media, while at the same time allowing the Chinese government to use the U.S. It is also seen as an easy way to spy on consumers.
Members of the Chinese Communist Party’s House of Representatives Select Committee this week introduced legislation that would force ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a U.S. ban, but previous federal and state-led efforts have failed to materialize. This continues to be the case. On Thursday, the committee voted 50-0 to send the bill to the House. Â
Shortly after the committee advanced the bill, Rep. Troy Balderson (R-Ohio) called TikTok is a “surveillance tool used by the Chinese Communist Party to monitor American citizens and collect highly personal data.”
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew denied the app’s ties to the Chinese Communist Party during a Senate hearing. TikTok said in a statement to CNBC on Thursday that “the government is trying to strip 170 million Americans of their constitutional right to free expression,” and that the act “will harm millions of businesses.” “It would deny artists an audience and destroy the lives of the people.” Countless creators across the country. ”
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew speaks during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on online child sexual exploitation at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., January 31, 2024. I testified.
Nathan Howard | Reuters
Since Biden’s playful introductory post, the campaign’s TikTok account has gained more than 222,000 followers and more than 2.4 million likes. With eight months left until the general election, a rematch from the 2020 campaign is likely, and the race is expected to be close until the end, with most national opinion polls showing Biden trailing Republican challenger Donald Trump by a narrow margin. ing.
Biden’s age shows up as a persistent concern in polling data, with experts saying he could appeal to younger, undecided voters and erode traditional Democratic constituencies, where lawmakers may be home on Election Day. To mobilize, he says appealing to a younger audience is key.
“It’s very important for him to have a presence and interact directly with not only creators and influencers but also voters,” said Aaron Earls, CEO of Activate HQ, a social media influencer company that specializes in political campaigns. “It’s important,” he says. “Everyone has suggested that the turnout in 2020 was very significant for younger viewers, and that perhaps younger viewers will turn out as well.”
During Thursday night’s State of the Union address, the Biden campaign posted a clip of the speech to TikTok, indicating the president intends to continue using the app despite concerns swirling in Washington. But this is a particularly complicated issue for Biden because if the bill passes the House and Senate, it will hit the president’s desk.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre Said “This bill is important and we welcome this measure,” reporters said Thursday. He said the administration intends to “meet the American people where they are,” adding: “That doesn’t mean we won’t look for ways to protect our national security.”
Biden said Friday he would sign the bill if Congress passes it.
The Biden campaign did not respond to requests for comment.
TikTok is seeking support from users following Thursday’s House of Representatives action. On the app, users were shown a screenshot warning that Congress was “planning a total ban on TikTok.” Several officials and lawmakers told CNBC that their offices have been inundated with calls, mostly from children.
TikTok goes to Washington
More broadly, U.S. political movements are looking for ways to get the most out of TikTok.
In recent cycles, Facebook has been the social media app of choice for campaigns. The reason is that you can narrow down and target your users. Posting advertisements and information about fundraising activities. but, apple The 2021 iOS privacy update made it much harder to target audiences and increased the cost of advertising campaigns overall. meta platform.
Additionally, Facebook has long skewed toward an older demographic, with younger groups gravitating towards TikTok.The challenge for the campaign is that TikTok says otherwise To give permission Political ads or “content such as videos from politicians asking for donations or political parties directing people to donation pages on their websites.”
Previous major campaigns have relied on high-profile TikTok influencers to rally support for specific issues.For example, last April, the White House Said To help spread awareness of the Biden campaign, they enlisted a team of volunteer TikTok and Instagram influencers.
Earls says this is a strategy that has been employed in politics for many years. TikTok just presented a new medium.
“This is a tactic that has been used historically since the days of Kennedy, but in traditional media,” Earls said. “It’s the kind of thing that would get endorsements from the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio.”
Political groups are looking for influencers on TikTok whose positions resonate with would-be voters, targeting specific battleground states that could decide the outcome of the election. During the 2022 midterm elections, communications groups such as the Democratic National Committee and Climate Power enlisted The help of TikTok and influencers to discuss issues such as abortion rights and mobilize voters.
Despite its growing popularity, TikTok remains a niche tool in the political arena.
Anupam Chander, professor at Georgetown University Law Center, said: released Last year, a study I conducted with some colleagues showed that less than 10% of U.S. members of Congress have a “TikTok account that posts content,” likely due to apps. This is thought to be due to its relationship with China. In total, 34 members of the House of Representatives and seven senators had official TikTok accounts, according to the report.
Surveys show that the overwhelming majority of major politicians who use TikTok are Democrats. Some of the Republican resistance may be related to President Trump’s promise to ban TikTok during his administration, which ultimately failed.
Reaching “American youth”
One of the few prominent Republicans currently using the app is former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Said “Part of the way to win elections is to give the next generation of young Americans a place where they belong,” he argued in the primary debate.
As for whether Trump would use TikTok in his campaign, Earls said he wouldn’t be surprised if he did. He said the decision had less to do with China and more to do with Trump’s relationship with his social media platform, Truth Social, where he frequently posts.
“We’ve seen him do whatever it takes to win elections, including trying to prevent a peaceful transition of power,” Earls said. “He’s going to do what he thinks will help him win, so depending on how his abilities develop, I think we’ll see his camp join TikTok in the coming months.” Monetize Truth Social. ”
The Trump campaign did not respond to requests for comment.
Anish Mohanty, communications director for Gen-Z for Change, said that when his nonprofit advocacy organization was formed in 2020 as part of an effort to “defeat Donald Trump,” it was originally called TikTok for biden. He said that it was The group changed its name the following year and now leverages a network of hundreds of TikTok social media influencers to advocate Several progressive issues related to climate change and universal health care, as well as Biden’s call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Mohanty said Biden’s presence on TikTok alone will not be enough to win votes, given the many challenges Biden faces with youth groups, especially since the president’s campaign has been “unfavorable about Trump.” “If you’re just using it to post funny memes,” he said.
“Young people care about issues, and that’s why they’re so frustrated with Biden over climate action and the situation in Gaza,” Mohanty said. “Just because Biden posts on TikTok doesn’t mean young people will be attracted to it.”
Still, McDonald sees a big chance for Biden.
“If you want to reach young people who are very disinterested, they turn to TikTok,” said the University of Kentucky professor. “There’s an incentive to reach them on TikTok, and the Republican Party as a whole doesn’t seem to be doing that.”
clock: Denying platforms does not negate free speech.