President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were officially sworn into office on Wednesday, setting into motion another transfer of power: the handover of the official Twitter handles.
Biden’s administration now controls the Twitter handles @POTUS, @VP, @FLOTUS, @WhiteHouse, and @PressSec, along with two new accounts @WHCOS for the White House chief of staff and @WHCommsDir for the administration’s communications director. Twitter also created a brand-new handle for the nation’s first-ever Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, who can be found at @SecondGentleman.
But anyone who previously followed the official Twitter accounts under Donald Trump’s administration will have to refollow the accounts to get updates from Biden’s administration. Trump’s @POTUS account has been archived as @POTUS45 and will be maintained by the National Archives Records Administration.
The passing of the handles represents far more than it ever has in the past. The accounts have the potential to reach millions of followers and other world leaders as well as rile up or calm the masses.
Barack Obama’s administration was the first to run the official presidential and White House Twitter accounts. But it was Trump who changed the social media game, at times wielding the power of Twitter to attack his opponents, make inflammatory statements, and boost misinformation from other sources. Granted, he mostly did this from his personal account @RealDonaldTrump, which has been permanently defunct since Jan. 8.
So what should we expect from Biden’s Twitter presence as the new commander in chief?
If Biden’s track record on social media tells us anything, it should be pretty tame comparatively. But if the team who ran his social media accounts during his campaign has anything to do with his official accounts (fingers crossed), we may be in store for some memes and light trolling. (Remember when the campaign poked fun at the fly that landed on former Vice President Mike Pence’s head during his debate with Harris last year?)
Twitter has become an effective tool for several politicians, beyond Trump. For example, Republican Rep. Ted Cruz and Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez regularly use the service to reach their followers, promote their agendas, and yes, attack their opponents. That has helped them rally support for specific pieces of legislation or raise awareness of their biggest concerns.
If I had to bet, Biden will likely try to steer clear of any pointed attacks. After all, during his inauguration his main message, should he stick to it, was “unity,” which subsequently is one of his biggest challenges. But if the last four years has taught us anything, it’s that social media has played an increasingly important role in politics. And regardless of who is president, that likely won’t change any time soon.
So here’s to the next chapter of politics on social media. May it be truthful; may it be informative; and in the best case, may it be mildly entertaining.
Danielle Abril
@DanielleDigest
danielle.abril@fortune.com
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The coronavirus vaccine rollout has been anything but smooth. Like everything related to COVID-19, the reasons behind that are complicated. On today’s Brainstorm podcast, hosts Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O’Keefe highlight one of the problems: the struggle to report and share data related to the virus. They dig into how this is hindering the vaccination effort. Listen here.
NEWSWORTHY
Indefinitely indefinite. Facebook reportedly has no plans to lift the indefinite suspension it placed on former President Donald Trump’s account on Jan.7, according to NBC News. The company announced the suspension following the riots at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. At that time the company said the risk of allowing Trump to continue posting on its service was “too great,” and that the ban would last at least until Jan. 21. After Facebook announced its suspension, Twitter then permanently banned Trump, and so did Snapchat. Twitch also indefinitely banned Trump.
Speedy delivery. Amazon says it wants to help President Joe Biden with the distribution of the coronavirus vaccine. The company reportedly sent a letter to the Biden administration on Wednesday offering to use its “operations, information technology, and communications capabilities” to help with the national effort. The letter also reiterates Amazon’s request to have its front-line workers vaccinated “at the earliest appropriate time.”
A secret message for coders. The Biden administration updated WhiteHouse.gov on Wednesday and embedded a call for web developer help in the website’s HTML code. “If you’re reading this, we need your help,” the message said in part, followed by a link to apply for jobs at the U.S. Digital Service, a technology unit of the federal government. The U.S. Digital Service says job salaries vary up to $170,800.
Request for relocation. Google has requested that a U.S. judge in Texas move its antitrust lawsuit to a court in California, citing that more relevant documents and witnesses are there. The state of Texas is serving as the lead on the joint lawsuit that was filed with nine other states. The lawsuit claims that Google broke antitrust laws in order to dominate the digital ad industry.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
The Biden administration is inheriting the White House at a time of crisis. The coronavirus pandemic is raging, the economic crisis continues to take a toll on businesses and average Americans, and the nation is severely divided. However, among Biden’s top priorities should be a framework for technology policy, says Martijn Rasser and Megan Lamberth, who do technology research for Washington, D.C.,-based think tank Center for a New American Security. The two authors outlined three things Biden’s administration needs to do for long-term success: organize the executive branch so that it is prepared to craft a national tech strategy, advance digital equity across the nation, and tackle tech theft.
“U.S. technological leadership is more important than ever, but America’s position is at risk. Other countries are narrowing the gap in R&D spending, and education shortfalls and immigration restrictions are constricting America’s talent pipeline. A course correction is urgently needed,” the authors wrote for The Hill.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Biden’s inauguration plunges conservative social media into mourning and more conspiracies By Danielle Abril
A second act seems in the works for Anthony Levandowski By Lucinda Shen
Tech and crypto funder Andreessen Horowitz wants to replace the media. Is that bad news? By Jeff John Roberts and David Z. Morris
BEFORE YOU GO
In case you didn’t watch Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday, I’d like to turn your attention to one of the most memorable moments.
The youngest-ever inaugural poet named Amanda Gorman read an inspiring piece she wrote called “The Hill We Will Climb.” In her poem, 22-year-old reflected on the division in the country, our history, and the hope for a brighter future.
A New York Times story gives us a little background on Gorman and her powerful poem. After struggling to finish to write the poem, Gorman felt a new wave of motivation after the Capitol riots erupted on Jan. 6. She worked late into the night to include the shocking scenes we all watched that day.
I’m not sure any speech quite did what Gorman did. Truly poignant work. Give it a read, watch, or listen.