The White House reaffirmed on Monday that its long-standing security concerns over TikTok remain unchanged, despite President Joe Biden’s recent debut on the platform. National Security Council spokesman, John Kirby, emphasized that the ban on TikTok’s use on government devices is still in effect.
Kirby declined to delve into the technical aspects of the national security concerns but highlighted issues related to data preservation, potential misuse of data, and privacy information by foreign actors. He directed further inquiries about the video to the president’s reelection campaign, which posted it.
White House Press Secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, expressed her unawareness of the campaign’s plan to launch a TikTok account prior to Sunday. She emphasized her careful approach in her role and her lack of communication with the campaign regarding strategies.
The TikTok video, posted during the Super Bowl, featured Biden answering a series of light-hearted, Super Bowl-themed questions. The video was part of the campaign’s efforts to engage with meme culture and attract young voters.
However, security concerns persist around TikTok, a popular video app owned by ByteDance, a Chinese technology company. Despite TikTok not operating in China, concerns stem from the potential influence of the Chinese government over businesses under its jurisdiction, including possible access to TikTok data.
The US government has expressed worries that China could exploit its national security laws to access the vast amount of personal information that TikTok collects from its US users. However, no specific evidence has been provided to support these claims. TikTok has initiated a program, Project Texas, to consolidate US user data on US soil.
Both the Trump and Biden administrations have expressed similar national security concerns about TikTok. Trump had threatened to ban the platform if it did not divest from its Chinese owners, and in 2022, Biden signed legislation prohibiting TikTok on federal government devices.
A campaign adviser assured that the Biden campaign will implement “advanced safety precautions” and a “sophisticated security protocol” to ensure security, emphasizing that the campaign’s presence on TikTok is separate from the ongoing Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States review into TikTok.