The Political Lightning Rod Of Tiktok

About the Event TikTok has an electrifying effect. In the spring of 2024, it prompted a rare bipartisan Congressional agreement for a divest-or-ban bill that was signed into law in rapid succession by President Biden. In reaction to this threat, droves of young people called their Senators and even showed up to the U.S. Capitol in protest. Only a few months later, the platform has been widely attributed with setting off a powerful, meme-driven hype cycle for VP Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. As a central node of youth-led movements and ongoing tensions over China-US relations, the app once written off as a place for lip-syncing and dancing has become a formidable player in our socio-political landscape. Spanning topics across the looming ban, shifts in the information ecosystem and geopolitical anxieties, this roundtable will explore TikTok’s increasingly central and uncertain role in contemporary politics. More Info below.