Joe Biden Faces Backlash From Pro-Biden TikTok Influencers Over Divest-or-Ban Law

By Thea Felicity

Apr 28, 2024 11:46 AM EDT

The proposed divest-or-ban law, aimed at TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, has stirred up uncertainty among TikTok influencers who have been staunch supporters of President Biden's political message.

Following Biden's State of the Union address, where he emphasized the importance of social media in reaching Gen-Z voters, influencers like Awa Sanneh, boasting over 510,000 followers, have been actively engaged with the administration.

However, the recent legislation signed by Biden, which mandates ByteDance to sell its stake in TikTok or face a ban in US app stores, has left many influencers like Sanneh questioning the president's decision, as reported by Yahoo Finance.

"I'm pretty critical of him at this moment in time."

While several expressed disappointment and confusion over Biden's support for the bill, Kenny Walden, with 167,000 followers, remains committed to encouraging support for the president.

Will TikTok Ban Reduce Biden's Voters?

Biden administration still believes TikTok is an important platform for connecting with voters, especially younger demographics. Despite concerns about TikTok's future due to potential restrictions, Biden's campaign continues to interact with influencers and explore ways to leverage the platform's extensive user base for political outreach.

For some, however, TikTok's future has implications beyond political engagement, affecting the livelihoods of influencers who rely on the platform for revenue. Influencers like Harry Sisson, with 850,000 followers, express his disappointment with Biden.

"There are a lot of creators on TikTok who support them and have done a lot of work for the campaign and the president." Former President Donald Trump, who urged young voters to "blame Biden" for the shutdown of TikTok, is adding to this. Both parties are running for president this year.

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