A parents’ rights group led by a former Trump administration official is launching a new ad on Friday warning of the dangers of TikTok ahead of a potential House vote on the app.
The American Parents Coalition is spending $500,000 on a mix of television and digital ads in Washington, D.C., as well as in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Montana, all states where an incumbent Democratic senator is up for reelection. The details of the ad buy were shared first with The Hill.
The 30-second ad, titled “TikTok Nightmare,” described the app’s algorithm as “every parent’s nightmare,” citing a study that showed eating disorder content and self-harm content has billions of views.
“TikTok’s algorithm is every parent’s worst nightmare. The Chinese-owned app pushes content promoting suicide, eating disorders, and other harmful trends,” Alleigh Marré, executive director of the American Parents Coalition, said in a statement.
“A platform that is controlled by a foreign adversary and targets our kids is not just a threat to the safety of our children, but our nation as a whole,” added Marré, who served as a national spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services during the Trump administration.
The ad launch comes as House Republican leaders included legislation that could ban TikTok in the U.S. if its China-based owner ByteDance doesn’t divest in a series of bills that would fund Ukraine, Israel and allies in the Indo-Pacific.
The House in March passed a standalone bill that could ban TikTok in a 352-65 vote. President Biden has said he would sign the TikTok legislation if it reaches his desk.
Former President Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee for November’s election, has expressed skepticism about a potential TikTok ban, despite his administration supporting a ban on the app during his first term.
Tyler Mitchell