Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has made a surprising move by joining TikTok, the short video social media platform owned by China-based tech giant ByteDance. This comes ahead of the U.S. elections in November, marking an interesting twist given his previous attempts to ban the app during his presidency.
Trump’s TikTok Debut
According to Politico, which first reported the news, Trump posted a launch video on his account on Saturday night. The video featured Trump greeting fans at an Ultimate Fighting Championship fight in Newark, New Jersey. The account, named President Donald J. Trump with the handle @realdonaldtrump, had already amassed more than 450,000 followers by 0800 GMT.
ByteDance’s Legal Battle
ByteDance is currently challenging a U.S. law in courts that came into effect in April. This law requires ByteDance to sell TikTok by next January or face a ban. The White House has stated that it seeks to end Chinese-based ownership on national security grounds but does not aim to ban TikTok outright.
TikTok has consistently argued that it will not share U.S. user data with the Chinese government and has taken substantial measures to protect its users’ privacy. Despite these assurances, concerns about data security remain a contentious issue.
A History of Controversy
Trump’s attempt to ban TikTok in 2020 was blocked by the courts. In March, he reiterated his stance that the platform posed a national security threat. However, he also acknowledged that a ban could negatively impact young people and inadvertently strengthen Meta Platforms’ Facebook, a company he has frequently criticized.
Biden’s Campaign on TikTok
Interestingly, President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign joined TikTok in February, highlighting the platform’s growing influence in political campaigns. As both candidates leverage TikTok to engage with younger voters, the app’s role in the upcoming election is set to be significant.
