In India, demands for a blanket ban on TikTok has been gaining momentum on social media. The said the Chinese video-sharing app has reportedly 11.9 crore active users in the country. TikTok has been the subject of public scrutiny especially since a disturbing video by one Faisal Siddiqui, wherein he promoted acid attacks on women, came to the fore.
Moreover, several other Indian creators on the social networking service have exhibited disturbing trends from advocating animal abuse to displaying a perverse mindset. TikTok has videos that glorify crime against women, pornography, bigotry, hate speech, and violence. Here is a compilation of many such disturbing videos.
Animal abuse on TikTok
In a disturbing video uploaded by a user named Gajendra Rathor, two children can be seen lifting a dog on all fours before dumping it in a pond. The poor animal has its mouth, and limbs tied in ropes, making it impossible for it to swim or escape. The duo then mercilessly pelts stone at the animal. The video creator can be heard laughing in the background while saying, “The dog has lived for 4 years. It is now time to bid it goodbye.”
More disturbing inhumane garbage from TikTok. #BanTikTokInIndia #FaizalSiddiqui pic.twitter.com/7I3fcXEANB
— MP (@mpopat) May 18, 2020
In another instance of horrific animal abuse, a video creator (@thangaraj2317) can be seen tying a cat by its neck to the roof of the house. Twitter user Sunny Mehra who pointed out the disturbing content questioned TikTok over its inaction against animal abuse, vulgarity, child abuse, besides other toxic things.
Why doesn’t @TikTok_IN review the content on their platform 😡🤬? Animal abuse, child abuse, vulgarity, objectifying women, all sort of disgusting things (even things that are illegal as per the law) are being promoted and in fact being Glorified there 😡. #tiktok #AnimalCruelty pic.twitter.com/u6ajFyNIRv
— Sunny Nehra (@sunnynehrabro) May 18, 2020
Violence and hatred against Hindus
A TikTok user, Saifi Khan, had uploaded a video wherein young children can be seen parroting the lines of a song that advocates genocide against non-Muslims. The song in the background goes as, “The area was shaking with the chants of “Naara-e-Takbeer.” Within a short time, the playground was full of the dead bodies of Kaffirs (infidels)”
Just saw videos of people using #tiktok for encouraging bad practices like acid att@cks, r@pes n animal abuse.
— Cabinet Minister, Ministry of Memes 🇮🇳 🚩 (@memenist_) May 18, 2020
I want to bring attention to these kind of videos which put hatred in the minds of small children.
Look at their age, and what’s being said in the audio.
@Rajput_Ramesh pic.twitter.com/ZAhDyyE2WU
In another anti-Hindu video, a Muslim man, wearing a skull cap, is seen wielding a sword at a Hindu priest. In an act of bigotry and sheer hatred, the Muslim man then enacts attacking the priest with the sword, ‘cutting’ his neck and leaving him bleeding.
This is what they are doing in name of social media influencing. These kind of platforms are promiting such messages of violance. Yet it ia not been removed from playstore. Also action must be taken against this user. #BanTikTokInIndia #BanTiktok @INTERPOL_Cyber @MahaCyber1 pic.twitter.com/iHUVU8TsbY
— Kundan Vyas (@kundanvyas24) May 18, 2020
Advocating rape and gangrape
TikTok user Mujibur Rehman is seen promoting rape in another viral video. The boy, along with his friends, attempts to button up his shirt and zip his pants to suggest that they have raped the girl in the contentious video.
After promoting acid and love jihad ,
— Adi (@Adithya2585) May 18, 2020
Tiktok’er Mujibur rehman and co are showing off how cool is to r@pe a woman ….. scums
also see his expression while he pulls up his pant zip in the end !!#BanTikTokInIndia pic.twitter.com/sBW6ScAyvR
In another video, a user displays pervasive behaviour and objectifies a woman by enacting suggestively to the tune of a song that says, “Only I have a right over your body.” The video also depicts a girl crying and adjusting her dishevelled clothes, symbolising an act of rape.
Another one glorifying r@pe in the name of “SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCING”
— Isolated Ninda Turtle 🚩 (@NindaTurtles) May 18, 2020
Name: Tanjeem Khan
Tik tok profile link: https://t.co/o6HriKR5nZ pic.twitter.com/MPHuyF61Fo
Earlier, Faisal Siddiqui made a video wherein he can be heard saying, “Usna tumhe chor diya jiska liya tumna Mujhe chora tha“. The loose translation goes as “Did the man, for whom you abandoned me, leave you?” Following the dialogue, he goes on to recreate a disturbing scene of an acid attack with liquid. The face of the victim is then seen covered in scars.
Encouraging violation of lockdown norms during coronavirus pandemic
Amidst the Coronavirus outbreak, several Muslim creators on TikTok were seen encouraging people to flout social distancing guidelines under the garb of Islamic preachings. In one such video, a Muslim man who refuses to shake hands with his friend, owing to the pandemic is rebuked by saying, “You will leave Sunnat (traditional Islamic custom) today and Islam tomorrow due to your fear of death. We are Muslims and therefore we are not afraid to die.”
