Vice President Kamala Harris launched an official TikTok account during the 2024 presidential campaign despite ongoing concerns from U.S. lawmakers.

CNBC reports that Harris debuted on TikTok on July 25 with a video addressing her recent popularity on the app’s For You page. 

The move comes as she emerges as the Democratic Party’s leading presidential nominee following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 race.

The vice president’s TikTok presence contrasts with Biden’s approach. While Biden appeared on the campaign’s @BidenHQ account (now @KamalaHQ), he did not create a personal profile. 

Despite the platform’s ban on political advertising, TikTok’s popularity among young Americans makes it a crucial campaign tool. 

Harris’s account launch follows a wave of user-generated content celebrating her candidacy, including videos set to Charli XCX’s ‘Brat’ trend.

The move comes amid ongoing debates about TikTok’s security. 

While politicians like Harris and Biden are embracing TikTok to reach younger voters, U.S. lawmakers are pushing for legislation that could force a nationwide TikTok ban.

Many lawmakers are worried about TikTok’s ownership by ByteDance, a Chinese tech company. There are fears that the Chinese government could use TikTok to spy on American users or harvest their personal data. ByteDance has denied these claims.

Despite the national security issues, politicians increasingly recognize TikTok’s potential to reach voters.

Former President Donald Trump, who joined TikTok in June, acknowledged the platform’s complexities. While sharing security concerns, Trump told CNBC that he believes banning TikTok would benefit Facebook, which he considers “an enemy of the people.”