US President Joe Biden belatedly joined TikTok on Sunday, marking his debut on the social network with a 26-second video.
The American government has in recent years virulently criticized this video sharing application, both from the previous Republican team and from the Biden administration.
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TikTok, owned by the Chinese group ByteDance, has been accused by a large number of American politicians of being a propaganda tool for the Chinese government, which the company categorically denies.
In the video shared on Sunday on the campaign account @bidenhq, the 81-year-old Democratic president lightly addresses subjects ranging from politics to the NFL American football championship.
When asked if he preferred the Super Bowl or its famous halftime show, headlined this year by singer Usher, he said he would choose the game.
TikTok in the sights of the authorities
Asked if there was a secret plot to rig the game so that pop star Taylor Swift - whose boyfriend Travis Kelce is a Kansas City Chiefs player - could then use her fame to support Joe Biden, the president responded with humor:
“I’d get in trouble if I told you
. ”
Several states and the federal government have banned use of the app on official government devices, citing national security risks.
In Montana (northwest), a judge recently blocked an initiative by the state government to completely ban the application.
Although the app continues to be reviewed by Washington, any federal action to ban or restrict use of the social network no longer appears to be under consideration.
“It now appears that the idea of a ban was put forward more to score political points than in a serious effort to legislate
,” David Greene, a civil liberties lawyer, recently told the British newspaper
The
Guardian
.
As the elections approach, the platform also makes it possible to reach young voters, who are its main users.