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I mentioned this in our first newsletter, but Rep. Jeff Jackson of North Carolina had to post a full YouTube-style apology video after his TikTok followers discovered he voted for this bill. Jackson has posted on TikTok only a handful of times since the incident.
However, Biden’s relationship with the app does not appear to have changed much and his campaign intends to continue using the platform to reach voters throughout the election.
“A fragmented media environment requires us to show up and meet voters where they are, and that includes online,” a Biden campaign official said. told NBC News on Wednesday. “TikTok is one of many places where we make sure voters see our content.”
It’s too early to say exactly which way the wind is blowing when it comes to public sentiment, but many people are not enthusiastic.
“Yeah [Biden] “Wanting to regain the trust of young people, which he has repeatedly betrayed, he needs to be open and transparent about the reasoning behind this ban,” Luke Mullen, an actor, filmmaker and activist, told me Wednesday. “So far he hasn’t said anything, which seems to belittle our intelligence. “Young Americans are not stupid.”
Beyond the lack of transparency, some creators and activists have told me that they feel the ban is a direct response to the activism happening on the platform.
“Regardless of the reason for the ban, the fact that TikTok specifically, unlike other social media sites that misuse user data, is being attacked sends a message to young people that their speech is being targeted.” censored,” Victoria Hammett, deputy executive director. and director of programming for Generation Z for Change, told me over the phone. “Regardless of whether that is the reason for the ban or not, that is clearly the message Congress is sending to young people.”
If TikTok were to disappear, many of these creators and activists could lose their platforms.
“I’ve personally witnessed the power and greater voice that young people have specifically through TikTok, and getting rid of our only place for that would be concerning, to say the least,” Mullen says.
For now? Biden is fair publishing through it.
The chat room
This week I will be brief. How to do you What do you think of this TikTok bill? Are you a creator or small business owner concerned about reaching your fans or customers? Are you part of a campaign or political group that is rethinking your entire media strategy this year? Or maybe you’re a TikTok user who gets a lot of their news on the app. Let me know!
With your permission, I would like to include some of your thoughts and stories in next week’s newsletter. Leave a comment on the site or email me at mail@wired.com.
💬 Leave a comment below this article.
Wired readings
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What else are we reading?
🔗 While Meta flees politics, campaigns rely on new tricks to reach voters: Campaigns across the political spectrum have seen participation on Meta-owned platforms plunge over the past year. (Washington Post)
🔗 Oracle met with Senate aides about TikTok data storage after House ban passed: The clock is ticking for TikTok and Oracle is already scared that a ban on the app could hurt its business. (CNBC)
🔗 ‘Thunder Run’: Behind lawmakers’ secret push to pass TikTok bill: The TikTok bill may seem like it came out of nowhere, but a small group of lawmakers has been quietly crafting it for almost a year. (The New York Times)
The download
I’m afraid it’ll be all TikTok all the time for the next few weeks. If you’re looking for a great introduction to all the side effects this law will have, you should check out our latest episode of the Politics Lab podcast. I talk it all over with my editor and show host Leah Feiger and my colleague Vittoria Elliott!
You can listen to the show wherever you download podcasts.. Subscribe! If the next few weeks are as chaotic as this one, you might miss out.
That’s all for today. Thanks again for subscribing. You can contact me by email, instagram, x and Signal at makenakelly.32.