 Technology |
Technology |
|
|
Biden to balance TikTok bill support, campaign account |
President Biden's reelection campaign must balance the White House's support for a bill that could ban TikTok from the U.S. while simultaneously harnessing the power of the platform to reach a crucial bloc of young voters. |
The president said he would sign a bill that could ultimately ban TikTok from U.S. app stores and web hosting services roughly a month after Biden campaign joined TikTok.
"I think it's going to be a very fine line they're going to have to walk," said Annie Wu Henry, a 28-year-old digital strategist who led Sen. John Fetterman's (D-Pa.) digital strategy during his Senate campaign.
"Someone might think, 'You know, as long as it's there, it's fine that they're using it.' But some people might find it hypocritical," she added.
The app, which is owned by the China-based company ByteDance, has become increasingly popular, especially among younger Americans. In addition to funny videos and viral dances, the app has also become a place where more Americans are getting their news, according to a Pew Research Center poll.
About a third of U.S. adults younger than 30 said they regularly got their news from TikTok in 2023, according to a poll released in November. That's more than three times the 9 percent of adults between 18 and 29 who said the same in 2020, putting TikTok even more in the forefront this election cycle.
As the election nears, however, lawmakers have reignited a debate over the fate of the app.
The House advanced the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which would force ByteDance to divest TikTok or face a ban, in an overwhelming bipartisan 352-65 vote.
In the days leading to and following the House vote, TikTok users flooded content posted by the Biden campaign with pleas to protect the app, rather than the focus of the video itself.
Some comments simply state "keep TikTok," while others point out this video was "posted on TikTok," instead of interacting with the content of the video.
Henry said social media is a great resource to glean insight into the public sentiment. On TikTok, there's a heightened sense of "community, intimacy and authenticity," and the comment section can become "its own little world," with reply videos that interact with comments often receiving more traction than the original content, she said.
"That is why it's used in different ways than some of the other social media platforms. There is the ability for the campaign to really show that they're listening and hearing and having that rapport with the public and what they're saying, and what their feedback is around all types of issues, including TikTok," Henry said. Read more in a full report at TheHill.com. |
Welcome to The Hill's Technology newsletter, we're Rebecca Klar and Julia Shapero — tracking the latest moves from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. |
|
|
How policy will be impacting the tech sector now and in the future: |
|
|
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), chair of the Senate Finance Committee, is criticizing former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin over his effort to buy the social media platform TikTok. "I don't see how America will be any more secure if the next owner of TikTok is a MAGA Trump crony backed by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund," Wyden told Semafor in an article published Tuesday. "I'm absolutely concerned about the Chinese … |
| |
| The Bipartisan Policy Center is launching an artificial intelligence (AI) curriculum and resources to educate Congressional staff about the latest developments in the technology with financial backing from Google. The AI 101 initiative will include a website that will be updated with new research and polls about AI, as well as a workshop program for House and Senate staff to attend to learn about the developments, according … |
| |
|
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. supported Republican-backed lawsuits against the White House over social media censorship on Tuesday, claiming President Biden also attempted to censor his social media posts. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments for two social media cases Tuesday, which claim the Biden White House illegally coerced social media companies to censor accounts because they were spreading … |
| |
|
Goldman Sachs chief economist Jan Hatzius offered a stark prediction for the impact that artificial intelligence (AI) could have on some job sectors, noting he is "confident" the technology will benefit economic growth over time. When asked last week by CNN's Matt Egan if he sees AI as a job "creator" or "killer," Hatzius said, "Well, I see it has a productivity enhancer. It will destroy employment in some areas; I mean, there … |
| |
|
News we've flagged from the intersection of tech and other topics: |
|
|
Nvidia's new AI chips to cost over $30K |
Nvidia's newly unveiled artificial intelligence (AI) chips will cost between $30,000 and $40,000 per unit, largely on par with its previous chips, CNBC reported. |
|
|
Meta offers to cut EU prices amid pushback |
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has offered to cut subscription fees for its ad-free tier in Europe, as it faces pushback from privacy and consumer groups over the paid tier, Reuters reported. |
|
|
Upcoming news themes and events we're watching: |
- The House Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology and Government Innovation will hold a hearing on "White House Overreach on AI" on Thursday at 10 a.m.
|
|
|
Interested in exploring a new career? Visit The Hill Jobs Board to discover millions of roles worldwide, including:
Manager, Government Affairs and Advocacy Engagement — NMHC, Washington, D.C. Apply Executive Assistant — Tribal Tech LLC, Alexandria, Va. Apply
Development Director — National Kidney Foundation, Pittsburgh, Pa. Apply Transition Project Manager - Washington DC — Paycom Payroll Llc, Arlington, Va. Apply Click here to get your job mentioned |
|
|
Branch out with other reads on The Hill: |
|
|
Judge denies Apple's attempt to dismiss a class-action lawsuit over AirTag stalking |
NEW YORK (AP) — A judge has denied Apple’s motion to dismiss a class-action lawsuit claiming that stalkers are using its AirTag devices to track victims — and that the tech giant hasn’t done enough to prevent them. Apple's $29 AirTags have become popular items since their 2021 release, … |
LONDON (AP) — England’s first convicted cyberflasher was sentenced Tuesday to 5 1/2 years in prison after sending unsolicited photos of his genitals to a teenage girl and a woman. Nicholas Hawkes, 39, a convicted sex offender, was the first person in England and Wales convicted of violating … |
|
|
Two key stories on The Hill right now: |
|
|
Ex-Trump White House adviser Peter Navarro reported to a federal prison in Miami on Tuesday afternoon to begin a four-month sentence for refusing to … Read more |
| Former President Trump sued ABC News and George Stephanopoulos on Monday, alleging defamation over the anchor's questioning of Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) … Read more |
|
|
You're all caught up. See you tomorrow! |
1625 K Street NW, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20006 |
Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. |
|
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment