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It wasn’t too long ago we were writing regularly about plans by U.S. lawmakers to ban TikTok. It now seems like those plans have taken a backseat to politics.
Driving the news: U.S. President Joe Biden joined TikTok on Sunday during the Super Bowl, part of his re-election campaign’s strategy to win over important Gen Z voters ahead of November’s election.
- Biden launched his new account with a video answering football-related questions, including which team he was cheering for (he said he prefers the Eagles) and which Kelce brother he was a bigger fan of (answer: Mama Kelce).
Catch up: The decision to join the platform came as a surprise, as the Biden administration has not been friendly towards the company in the past.
- Biden signed a bill banning the app from federal government phones in 2022, and demanded that the app be sold to a non-Chinese owner or face an outright ban in the U.S.
Why it matters: Western lawmakers hostile to TikTok are running into the political reality that it’s become one of (if not the) best places to reach young voters, and a communications channel they can’t afford to surrender.
- In Canada, a quarter of those aged 18 to 24 spend more than an hour per day on TikTok, according to a 2023 survey.
- None of the leaders of Canada’s largest political parties have TikTok accounts — both Jagmeet Singh and Pierre Poilievre deactivated theirs last year.
Bottom line: It’s going to be difficult for any politician to make a strong case for banning TikTok while they are using it themselves.—TS, LA