(Washington) 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.
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 Sunday on the @bidenhq campaign account, the 81-year-old Democratic president lightheartedly addresses topics ranging from politics to the NFL.
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.
Asked whether 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 said. replied humorously: “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, a judge recently blocked a state government initiative to ban the app altogether.
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.