Biden and Fauci mark White House Snapchat return with pandemic message

The White House marked a return to Snapchat with President Biden and his chief medical adviser, Anthony Fauci, appearing in public health video messages on the COVID-19 pandemic.

Details: In the White House Snapchat story, which appears on the "Discover" page of curated content, a masked Biden urges users to wear face coverings because "you're going to save lives."

"You're going to save families' lives. It matters, it matters. It's the patriotic thing to do. Please wear a mask."

• The Snapchat story also features behind-the-scenes footage of Biden's visit last week to the National Institutes of Health's Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory, which developed the COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Moderna.

The big picture: The Obama administration launched a White House account for Snapchat in 2016. The account continued during the Trump administration.

• Former President Trump also continued to use his personal account —which Snapchat stopped promoting on its "Discover" page last June over tweets on racial justice protests that Twitter said violated its rules on glorifying violence.
• Snapchat locked and then permanently banned Trump's account following the Jan. 6 insurrection by some of his supporters on the U.S. Capitol.

What they're saying: White House digital director Rob Flaherty said in an emailed statement that Snapchatters can expect them to use the account as a direct conversation on Biden's agenda as his administration "works to beat the pandemic, build back our economy better, advance racial equity, and tackle climate change."

• "The White House Snapchat has always been a critical platform to reach young Americans, and we’re excited to bring it back," Flaherty said.