Biden campaign joins TikTok after admin purged app from federal devices over security concerns
Fox News
President Biden’s re-election campaign has joined TikTok in an effort to woo young voters after the administration banned the Chinese-owned app from federal devices over security concerns.
On Sunday, Biden’s campaign announced they joined the platform with a video of the president answering Super Bowl questions as the game was underway.
The campaign made the move after reports surfaced late last year that they were mulling joining the app. However, a campaign spokesperson downplayed the move at the time.
It also came after the Biden administration banned the app over security concerns. Last February, the administration set a 30-day deadline for government agencies to purge the app from federal devices.
The social media platform, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, is popular among younger Americans. Biden has previously joined forces with TikTok influencers amid his re-election run, and the Democratic National Committee also joined the platform.
The president’s campaign joining the Beijing-based social media platform could present unique security risks. Most notably, the Chinese Communist Party’s cybersecurity law allows government authorities to access companies’ data.
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Many Republicans resist using TikTok due to data security concerns, while an increasing number of Democrats have adopted the platform.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., has railed against TikTok, saying last month that it should be “banned” and that the CEO is “lying” about the app being safe for Americans.
“The evidence that China is using TikTok to spy on and influence American citizens is clear, and it only keeps mounting as time goes on,” Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., previously wrote in a Fox News Digital op-ed.
“Moreover, Beijing’s influence on ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, is undeniable,” he said. “Not only does Chinese law compel ByteDance to hand over data at a moment’s notice, but the Chinese government also holds an ownership stake in the tech giant’s key domestic subsidiary.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Biden campaign for comment.