Sen. Josh Hawley criticized the Biden-Harris campaign for joining TikTok, highlighting the contradiction with a law signed by Biden banning the app from federal devices. The campaign’s TikTok post featured the president answering Super Bowl-related quizzes. This move came despite the Biden administration’s directive for government agencies to remove TikTok from federal devices within 30 days, citing concerns about data security and potential ties to the Chinese government.
Biden is on TikTok for one simple reason: to grovel for his re-election pic.twitter.com/yq2csHcCEz
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) February 13, 2024
Several Republicans, including Sen. Tom Cotton, have advocated for a nationwide ban on TikTok due to fears that it compromises users’ data and poses national security risks. Cotton emphasized that Chinese tech companies like TikTok are obligated to provide the Communist Party access to their data. The FBI and FCC have warned about potential data sharing between ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, and the Chinese Communist Party.
Despite these concerns, TikTok remains popular among young voters, prompting Biden’s campaign to establish a presence on the platform along with other social media platforms. The campaign assured it would employ advanced safety measures and security protocols for its devices, separate from the ongoing review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).
In response to criticism, a campaign adviser stated, “The campaign will continue meeting voters where they are, innovating to create content that will resonate with critical audiences and the core constituencies that make up the president’s diverse and broad coalition of voters.” Despite assurances of safety precautions, concerns persist about TikTok’s potential impact on data security and national security interests.
