US: Biden Faces Hypocrisy Accusations After Signing TikTok Ban Bill, Critics Call For Campaign Account Deletio

The bill that could potentially force Chinese TikTok parent firm ByteDance to divest the social media platform within nine months or face a nationwide ban in the country was signed into law by US President Joe Biden on Wednesday.

The measure, which TikTok has pledged to fight, was confirmed to be viewed as "unconstitutional" by the company in a statement.

US: Biden Faces Hypocrisy Accusations

The decision to continue using TikTok for engaging voters ahead of the November elections was announced by the Biden 2024 reelection campaign, despite the signing of the bill. It was noted that ByteDance could maintain control over TikTok from nine months to a one-year timeframe through the November election, as reported by Hindustan Times.

The app will be used with "enhanced security measures" during the campaign, according to a Biden campaign official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Critics pointed out the Biden administration's hypocrisy for supporting the TikTok ban while continuing to use the app for campaign purposes.

A TikTok user with over 650,000 followers, dubbed the "Gen Z Historian," highlighted the perceived hypocrisy of the Biden administration. An X user suggested that Biden should celebrate the momentous achievement by deleting his TikTok account.

Another user emphasized the contradiction of Biden wanting to shut down TikTok but continuing to use it for election purposes. The Biden campaign account on TikTok, @bidenhq, has uploaded nearly 120 videos on the social media platform, despite the White House's claim that TikTok has "legitimate national security concerns."

The legislation signed by Biden was declared by White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre to "not be a ban" but a concern regarding the country's national security. Campaign advisers to Biden anticipate a protracted legal battle to decide the app's future but do not believe the decision would harm them with younger voters, as reported by Hindustan Times.

According to a Pew Research Center research published in November, nearly a third of youth in America under the age of 30 usually receive news from the app, compared to 14% of all adults.

Meanwhile, several polls show Biden's reputation among youth has diminished. According to an AP-NORC survey conducted in March, around one-third of those under 30 are satisfied with how Biden is performing his job, which is a significant decrease from the roughly two-thirds who were pleased when he first took office.