Biden campaign debuts official TikTok account, but app is still banned on most government devices

• President Joe Biden's reelection campaign has launched an official TikTok account.
• The account is noteworthy because TikTok is currently banned on most U.S. government-issued devices.
• Biden campaign advisors told NBC News the TikTok account is part of an effort to meet voters where they are.

President Joe Biden's reelection campaign launched an official TikTok account Sunday evening. The account is noteworthy because TikTok is currently banned on most U.S. government-issued devices.

The TikTok account, with the handle "@bidenhq," debuted Sunday during Lunar New Year celebrations in China and Super Bowl 58 in the U.S.

TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In late 2022, Biden signed legislation that barred most federal government-owned devices from using TikTok. The provision was part of a massive omnibus spending bill and, at the time, it represented a major win for China hawks in Congress.

Several states and New York City also followed suit, banning TikTok on government-owned devices last year, pointing to a wide range of security concerns.

TikTok's parent company is China-based ByteDance. The company's CEO Shou Zi Chew is Singaporean and a graduate of Harvard Business School.

One of TikTok's biggest outside investors is Susquehanna International Group. Billionaire co-founder of the firm, Jeffrey Yass, has donated millions to lawmakers who want to block an outright ban of the app in the states.

Several U.S. lawmakers have accused TikTok, and other social media platforms, of spreading content online that has been harmful to children's mental health and failing to protect kids online.

Biden campaign advisors told NBC News the TikTok account is part of an effort to meet voters where they are.

The app