TikTok has graced our headlines numerous times already this fall - from challenges with data security and privacy, to possible acquisitions by US companies like Microsoft and Walmart, to threats to bar US operations by the president himself. But while it is unclear how TikTok (in the US at least) will fare, it is clear it is a force that cannot be ignored - as a vehicle for mass communication... intentionally or not.
As a prime example of this tension, let's examine the recent news of the White House coronavirus outbreak. The number of senior advisers, senators and other politicians who have tested positive is growing, after a potential super-spreader event at the White House Supreme Court nominee reception on Saturday, September 26th. While many attendees have come forward announcing their positive Covid-19 test results, there has been some speculation that the White House is attempting to keep information about how broad the infections have been under wraps. One such possible situation is with Kelly Anne Conway, who announced she tested positive on October 2nd. She tweeted her positive test result out shortly after her 15-year-old daughter Claudia posted on TikTok that both she and her mother had tested positive for the virus. Subsequently, Claudia has posted that her mother's symptoms appear worse than the former White House advisor let on, and hastily posted a correction at her mother's request. Claudia has been an outspoken critic of President Trump, and her mother has tried to minimize the weight of her daughter's commentary online.
While I'm in no position to speculate how extensive this outbreak is, or whether there is any effort to minimize it for political gain, I do know that TikTok is playing a critical role here in the dissemination of information. Trump's re-election campaign, like any marketing campaign, is incentivized to share information with the public in a coordinated and intentional way - leaning into their slogans, their campaign events/rallies, and online advertising to support these actions. Yet Claudia Conway has a platform of over 1 million followers on TikTok, and has shared her insider's view with this audience by posting directly to TikTok. This kind of direct access to the public poses a threat to the unified marketing strategy of the White House. But, it also provides a megaphone to those with access to information that may be excluded from the public's view.
It appears that TikTok has added a new reason to be on the current administration's naughty list, and we will have to wait and see if the president takes further action to limit TikTok's ability to function in the US.
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