TikTok is currently a pop cultural phenomenon, and everything that you see on TikTok soon becomes a viral thing on other platforms as well. With over 1.2 billion monthly active users, TikTok developers need to keep in check what is trending on the platform. There are certain times when TikTok developers have to ban things because of their volatility and the consequences it can cause. Recently, TikTok developers have banned the hashtag Letter to America from the search engine of TikTok. To learn about the Osama Bin Laden TikTok controversy and why TikTok Banned Osama Bin Laden’s Letter to America, go through this blog thoroughly.Â
The transcript of bin Laden’s letter, which was written about a year after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people in the U.S., went viral on TikTok, and ever since then, there has been a different perspective of the terror attack as Al Qaeda founder’s document gives an alternative perspective about the U.S.’ involvement in conflicts in the Middle East.
So, without further ado, let’s dig in to learn about TikTok Banned Osama Bin Laden Letter to America
In This Article
Why is Osama Bin Laden’s Letter to America Trending on TikTok?
The hashtag #lettertoamerica started trending on TikTok after Osama bin Laden’s 2002 “Letter to America” went viral on Twitter. The letter condemns U.S. support for Israel and accuses Americans of aiding the oppression of Palestinian people.
The video was first posted on X, and it received 25.6 million views on the platform. While the discourse had just begun on TikTok, there were significantly lesser number of views on TikTok, but the interest was magnified after they were posted to X.
Why Has TikTok Removed Osama Bin Laden’s Letter to America?
After the letter went viral on X, it was later reuploaded on TikTok; earlier, many videos discussing the letter were removed, but now the hashtag #lettertoamerica has been removed from TikTok’s search function.
According to TikTok’s spokesperson, Ben Rathe, the videos discussing the letter violate the platform’s guidelines. According to Ben’s statement, “Content promoting this letter clearly violates our rules on supporting any form of terrorism.” He further added, “We are proactively and aggressively removing this content and investigating how it got onto our platform. The number of videos on TikTok is small, and reports of it trending on our platform are inaccurate. This is not unique to TikTok and has appeared across multiple platforms and the media.”
Impact of Osama Bin Laden’s Letter to America on Other Social Media Platforms
The impact that the letter has caused is not only on TikTok; it has seen instant emergence on other social media platforms as well. According to the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, which studies extremism on social media, there were 41 “Letter to America” videos on TikTok. While a user can not find these videos now, there is still video content that can be found under the search term “Bin Laden.”
References to “Letter to America” jumped more than 1,800%, from just over 4,800 to 100,000, with 719 million impressions on the X platform. On YouTube, searches for bin Laden also jumped 400%.
As of now, Meta, X, and YouTube have not commented on the issue. However, all these platforms have strict policies against terrorism and do not promote or aid violent extremists or criminal organizations on the platform.Â
It is also to be noted that the transcript of the letter was from The Guardian, and the link to the removed document was listed as one of the most viewed on The Guardian’s website. The Guardian has now removed the transcript, and in a statement, The Guardian spokesperson said, “The transcript published on our website in 2002 has been widely shared on social media without the full context; therefore, we have decided to take it down and direct readers to the news article that originally contextualized it instead.”
Wrapping Up
TikTok is one of the most sought platforms in the contemporary social media scenario. The platform has strict policies against inflicting terror or terrorism. I hope all your doubts regarding TikTok Banned Osama Bin Laden Letter to America are clear. Don’t forget to share it with your friends.
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is bin Laden’s letter to America Real?
Yes, the letter to America is real and was in its transcript form on The Guardian website and it was published in 2002.Â
2. When was bin Laden’s letter to America written?
Bin Laden’s 2002 “Letter to America,” which was published nearly a year after the Sept. 11 attacks.
3. Who published the letter to America?
The letter to America was published by The Guardian in 2002. The letter has been currently removed from the website.
