“We understand the need to reach broadly across the eligible population to improve recruiting outcomes, but we question promotion of social media influencers who post behaviors or activities many Americans deem inappropriate,” the letter read.
The lawmakers noted that the Navy’s 2019 social media handbook urged sailors to “assume any content they post may affect their personal careers and the reputation of the Navy more broadly” and asked whether the Navy “endorses the personal posts of its influencers.”
“Does the Navy endorse drag shows?” the lawmakers asked.
“Where does the Navy draw the line on promotion of the personal activities of its influencers? Would the Navy enlist burlesque or exotic dancers to reach possible recruits? Such activity is not appropriate for promotion in a professional workplace or the United States military.”
The senators asked the Navy to respond to the series of questions by May 24. They asked what the current status of the Digital Ambassador Pilot Program is and whether the Navy intends to keep using it. They also requested data related to the impact of the program, how much funding was spent on the program, and whether the influencers received money or incentives.
Because TikTok is banned on Department of Defense devices, the senators asked whether such apps were used to make the content and whether the Navy encourages its ambassadors to use TikTok on their personal devices. They further asked the Navy whether the ambassadors had been informed of the risks inherent to using TikTok on their personal devices.