Former President Donald Trump's surprising decision to join TikTok has reignited the debate over the app's future in the United States. The move has raised questions about whether the platform will face renewed scrutiny from lawmakers and the Biden administration, which has previously considered banning TikTok over concerns about its ties to China.
Former President Donald Trump's surprising decision to create a TikTok account has thrown the app's future in the US into uncertainty. Trump's entry onto the platform, which he once considered banning as president, has raised questions about whether the platform will face renewed scrutiny from lawmakers and the Biden administration.
Trump's first post on TikTok, a launch video showing him waving to fans at an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fight, quickly amassed over 3.3 million followers and 3.2 million likes. The move appears to be an effort to connect with younger voters who frequent the app, as Trump faces off with President Joe Biden in a potential 2024 election rematch.
The main super PAC supporting Trump, MAGA Inc., joined TikTok a few weeks ago. The site has roughly 170 million users in the US.
The app appears to be friendly ground for the former president, with roughly twice as many pro-Trump posts compared to pro-Biden posts on the site, according to recent reports from The New York Times and Puck, which cited internal analysis from TikTok.
However, Trump's decision to join TikTok has also reignited concerns about the app's security, with some critics arguing that the platform could be used to spread misinformation and propaganda.
The Biden administration has previously considered banning TikTok over concerns about its ties to the Chinese government. In 2020, Trump signed an executive order that would have banned TikTok from operating in the US, but it was later blocked by a federal judge.
The future of TikTok in the US is now uncertain. Lawmakers are likely to face renewed pressure to address concerns about the app's security, and the Biden administration may reconsider its previous decision not to ban the platform.
Trump's decision to join TikTok highlights the growing importance of the platform, particularly among younger voters. TikTok has quickly become one of the most popular social media apps in the world, with over 1 billion monthly users globally.
The app has also become a major platform for political engagement, with many candidates and elected officials using it to reach out to voters. Biden created a TikTok account in January 2021, and many other Democratic and Republican politicians have followed suit.
Trump's TikTok debut is likely to further increase the app's popularity in the US, and it could also help to legitimize the platform as a political tool. However, it remains to be seen whether TikTok will be able to address concerns about its security and avoid being banned in the US.
