CHARLOTTE, N.C. – What may be mundane day-to-day tasks for seasoned lawmakers on Capitol Hill have garnered millions of views on the popular social media app TikTok.

What You Need To Know

  • North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper banned TikTok on all state-owned devices on Jan. 12, due to privacy issues that the FBI says could breech government information

  • Freshman congressman Jeff Jackson (D-District 14) says he uses TikTok on a nongovernment phone to promote transparency and trust with the public

  • Jackson’s videos have gained millions of views, showcasing behind-the-scenes moments and to-dos as an elected official

U.S. Congressman Jeff Jackson, who represents portions of Mecklenburg and Gaston counties in the House of Representatives, has captured the interest of everyday citizens with his behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like being elected to Congress.

“I found people really aren't interested in hearing from a political party. They'd rather hear from a person," said Jackson (D-District 14). "And I use TikTok because I use a lot of different social media channels to do that.”

The freshman congressman, who spent eight years as a North Carolina senator, has created videos about campaigning for office, getting elected, how new officials pick their offices and more.

Jackson, who also serves as a major in the Army National Guard, says TikTok is an opportunity to be honest and pull back the curtain on politics.

“I think trust in political leadership has never been lower. And when you're in that situation, you can't tell people that they're wrong not to trust people in elected office. You just have to show them a much higher level of transparency. Transparency is the key to trust, and it's not hard,” Jackson said.

In recent weeks, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper banned TikTok on state-owned devices, citing cybersecurity concerns.

“That ban is a good idea. There is a security threat. I've read the remarks from our FBI director, which he sort of lays out the security threat and I think it's legitimate,” Jackson said.

Jackson says he uses TikTok on a nongovernment phone in which it’s the only app on that device.

Related: U.S. House, states step up TikTok bans on government devices

In one of his TikTok videos, Jackson addressed the repeated votes for speaker of the House, drawing more than 2.9 million views on that video alone.

Jackson says his most interesting experience in Congress so far has given him pause.

“I had a conversation about 10 days ago with someone I had never met before, but I had very strong assumptions about because of their presence on internet and TV. And I was totally wrong about this person,” he said.

“They turned out to be brilliant and really dedicated to their district and really knowledgeable about their district. And it just caused me to say, OK, I'm going to put a pause on all my assumptions about everyone here until I've had a chance to deal with them one on one.”