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President Joe Biden\u2019s administration is doubling down on its interest in the creator economy. In August, the White House will host the first-ever White House Creator Economy Conference, which will invite a group of influential social media personalities and industry professionals to discuss issues like data privacy, fair pay, AI and mental health with senior White House officials.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Christian Tom, the director of the White House Office of Digital Strategy, announced the news onstage at VidCon on Friday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe inaugural White House Creator Economy Conference will emphasize the administration\u2019s commitment to creators, and reinforce the economic and cultural value they represent,\u201d Tom told TechCrunch. \u201cThe Office of Digital Strategy has made work with digital creators one of our top priorities and we are excited to engage with creators on how these topics impact their lives and how they can help inform policy decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n
The White House Office of Digital Strategy is a separate entity from Biden\u2019s reelection campaign, now in jeopardy<\/a>, which has also acknowledged the social power of online creators as it seeks to hire a meme manager<\/a>. Still, the timing of the conference is key: It will take place about three months before election day.<\/p>\n The one-day conference will include mainstage discussions and smaller breakout sessions.<\/p>\n Throughout Biden\u2019s presidency, the White House has leveraged creators to reach their broad audiences about hot-button issues. In 2021, when coronavirus vaccines began rolling out, Biden\u2019s administration worked with influencers<\/a> to encourage people to get vaccinated. The White House also briefed creators<\/a> about the war in Ukraine.\u00a0<\/p>\n These outreach efforts make sense \u2014 according to the Pew Research Center, half of U.S. adults at least sometimes get their news on social media<\/a>. Social media is such a valuable tool for politicians that despite Biden\u2019s role<\/a> in the effort to ban TikTok, his reelection campaign is using the platform<\/a> to reach voters. So is former president Donald Trump<\/a>, who is challenging Biden\u2019s bid for reelection.<\/p>\n