Biden plans to ban TikTok before the upcoming election.

Question

Biden has claimed that he will sign a bill banning TikTok in the U.S.

Answer 1

This claim from an article in Politico is technically true, stating that "Biden told reporters last week that he's sign the legislation if it landed on his desk." Politico received this information from an AP News article which quotes Biden saying "if they pass it, I'll sign it" when reporters asked about the TikTok ban bill. It's relevant to note that Politico and AP News are regarded as trustworthy sources: Ad Fontes Media rates both sources as having a middle bias with reliable analysis/fact reporting.

However, the way that the claim is phrased makes it seem like Biden has set out to intentionally ban TikTok before the election. The Politico article cited in this claim states that the TikTok ban would take place in six months, then explains the potential consequences of the ban going into effect right before a presidential election. Biden has publicly endorsed the legislation and will approve the bill if the Senate passes it, but there are no reports of him explicitly expressing any causation between the timing of the legislation and the election. Six months from now does happen to fall a month before the election, but there does not appear to be any evidence that it was deliberate.

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/03/14/tiktok-ban-biden-young-voters-00147014

https://apnews.com/article/biden-tiktok-ban-house-china-aaa884d8c974f0a35856af5ee6aa4e99

https://adfontesmedia.com/politico-bias-and-reliability/

https://adfontesmedia.com/ap-bias-and-reliability/

Comments

This is a good fact check. I like how you addressed both sides of this. Because in some aspects and from some sources this is a true statement. But how true? News sources enjoy exaggerating for more views and traction, which seems to be what we are dealing with here. I like your inclusion of four valid and informative sources. This is thorough and well done. It is successful. Exaggerated and misleading is right.

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This fact check uses the knowledge you have about the sources you used and how it can be considered to the audience when you're trying to answer this claim. By clarifying the credibility of the sources, you are providing productive and trustworthy voices that can support a claim and evidence. I admire how much attention to detail you provide about the language used and the type of message conveyed in the story. Well done.