Andrew Tate arrest: TikTok and Twitter under fire over false posts from fans | Social media
Social media companies have been accused of allowing followers of the “king of toxic masculinity” Andrew Tate to spread misinformation after he was arrested in connection with a human trafficking investigation this weekend.
Hours after he was detained, TikTok and Twitter were flooded with posts falsely claiming he was released, as well as conspiracy theories that he was set up. Observer analysis show.
Imran Ahmed, Chief Executive of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, said:
Tate, 36, a British-American internet personality best known for her misogynistic views, said her brother Tristan was killed in Romania on Dec. 29 as part of an investigation into human trafficking, rape and organized crime. was arrested with
research by Observer In August, the former kickboxer and Big Brother contestant revealed that TikTok was actively promoting his content to users, including boys and young men. Tate’s online members of his academy were instructed to post deliberately controversial clips in order to increase engagement and manipulate algorithms.
Four people, including two Britons, are suspected of being part of a criminal group that sexually exploited women after they seduced them with the promise of a relationship, according to a prosecutor’s statement after his arrest last week. .
The women were said to have been subjected to “physical violence and mental coercion through intimidation, constant surveillance, control and debt claims” and forced to produce pornographic videos. Six potential victims have been identified.
Details of the specific allegations against Tate have not been made public. It was confirmed on Friday that he will be detained for the next 30 days as the Romanian Organized Crime and Terrorism Investigation Service continues its investigation.
On social media, thousands of supporters have already reached a verdict.On TikTok and Twitter, Tate’s fans have used hashtags like #freetopG and #tateinnocent to prove that Tate has been framed. Claimed without. “People lie because they hate Tate,” one person wrote on Twitter. “I’m 100% sure Tate is innocent. FREE TATE,” said another.
Others blamed “The Matrix” for setting him up. This was fueled by Tate himself in a tweet posted after news of the arrest: “The Matrix has sent their agent,” he wrote on Friday.
In a 1999 sci-fi film set in a simulated world, a man is given the option to “wake up” by taking a red pill. by the Fringe Online group, who use “Red Pill” to mean men waking up to the “reality” where feminism conquers them.
On Friday’s TikTok, the highest-rated recent video about Tate was what at first seemed like a factual report, but ended up asking viewers: Was it the Matrix, or did Tate actually commit a serious crime?”
After Tate’s account relaunched in November, many posts on Twitter, which has more than 4 million followers, referenced #Pizzagate. Scapegoat by a real pedophile ring.
In a video made shortly before his arrest, Tate appeared with a pizza box in front of the camera after arguing with climate activist Greta Thunberg on Twitter, speculated to be a reference to the conspiracy. . “They want to cover up Pizzagate with Andrew Tate,” wrote one Twitter user, tagging Elon Musk.
Other accounts posted old videos suggesting Tate was acquitted despite remaining in custody. By Saturday he claimed on Twitter that one clip of him, which has been viewed 780,000 times, shows that he has been released from custody. The caption read, “Andrew Tate got Released Matrix attack Failed.”
Tate’s vehement defense and the spread of misinformation since his arrest have added to concerns about implications for future legal proceedings and cast doubt on the social media platforms that helped propel him into the mainstream.
in the weeks that followed ObserverIn an August investigation, TikTok said it had banned Tate’s official account and taken a tough stance on hateful content, including misogyny. On Saturday night, TikTok announced it would begin a systematic review of reported content and remove any that violated its guidelines.