A federal government office tasked with warning TikTok users against buying fentanyl-laced drugs faces an obstacle to getting its message out to the public: a congressional ban on government employees using the social media app.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office relies on the nonprofit organization National Crime Prevention Council to reach TikTok users with a warning about the dangers of counterfeit drugs sold on TikTok. The ban, enacted at the end of 2022, makes the partnership all the more important.
“TikTok is a key platform to reach teens and tweens and McGruff the Crime Dog is especially popular with that audience,” NCPC Executive Director Paul DelPonte said. “As a spokesdog, he fits in well with the type of content generated on the platform. Notwithstanding TikTok’s other issues, it is an important place to educate young people about the dangers
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