In the ever-changing world of technology, TikTok is the latest social media phenomenon. Since its global launch in 2017, the Chinese video sharing app has gained 1.5 billion downloads, rapidly becoming one of the most popular platforms in the world.

Although still in its infancy, TikTok (named Douyin in China) was listed as the seventh most popular app of the last decade. Users, particularly young people, have flocked to the app to share clips of them dancing, lip-synching and performing short skits.^[1] Like it or loathe it, there is no denying its vast global appeal.

But TikTok’s short history has been mired with controversy. A British inquiry raised concerns about poor data safeguarding. Popstar Lizzo has criticized it for promoting fat-shaming. And as tensions rise between China and the US, President Trump has threatened to ban the app. But Mr Trump is by no means the first to find fault with this contentious new app. Here are ten of TikTok’s most controversial moments.

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10 Erasing the poor and disabled

Have you ever wondered why every social media star looks gorgeous, successful, and ridiculously rich? It turns out some apps are suppressing content from poor, unattractive, or disabled users in order to make their platforms seem more aspirational.

Internal documents recently published by The Intercept, a US-based news site, have revealed how TikTok moderators censor posts based on how attractive they judge users to be. Anyone with an “abnormal body shape” such as dwarfism or obesity, “too many wrinkles” or “ugly facial looks or facial deformities” is automatically struck off from the ‘For You’ section of the app. Likewise, videos filmed in “slums” and “dilapidated housing” are barred from the feed, including anywhere with cracks on the wall or shabby decorations.

A spokesman for the Chinese company claimed the strict guidelines are enforced to prevent bullying. However there is not a single mention of bullying in any of the published documents, and TikTok has used same excuse previously to deflect accusations of discrimination against gays. Instead it seems they discriminate against the poor and disabled due to a lack of popularity. As it says in the guidelines: “if the character’s appearance or the shooting environment is not good, the video will be much less attractive,” therefore they do not consider them worthwhile recommending to new users.^[2]

9 Randonauting to a dead body

To most of us the term “randonauting” probably sounds like double Dutch, but the viral TikTok trend has become enormously popular during quarantine. A random number generator called Randonautica provides players with a set of nearby coordinates to travel to and investigate, where it claims they can discover “synchronicities” and “coincidences” outside of their typical experience.

Launched at the start of 2020, randonauting has flourished under social distancing; the #randonautica hashtag on TikTok currently boasts over 700 million views. For many, randonauting has provided some much-needed relief from the chaos of the pandemic. But one group of randonauters had a much more disturbing experience when their adventure was cut short by a macabre discovery.

In June 2020, a group of teenagers in Seattle decided to spend the afternoon randonauting. After driving out to a nearby beach, they stumbled across a suitcase that the tide had washed up. The randonauters decided to open the bag, hoping it might contain money, but after the stench subsided they found something very different stuffed inside: human remains.^[3]

After arriving at the scene, the police discovered a second bag of remains in the water. The deceased were identified as a young couple: Jessica Lewis, 35, and Austin Wenner, 27. Both died of gunshot wounds. The couple’s landlord, Michael Lee Dudley, 62, has been charged with two counts of second degree murder and is awaiting trial. The motive for the crime is currently unknown.^[4]

TikTok user @UghHenry later uploaded footage of their discovery, receiving tens of millions of views, although it has since been made private. “The moment I got back home, I broke down,” he told followers, “I still can’t sleep.”

8 Weaponizing social media in international warfare

In military disputes anything can be used as a weapon, and that includes social media. Indian authorities are using a ban on TikTok to exert pressure on the Chinese government. China and India are currently at loggerheads. In June 2020 the Chinese military killed twenty Indian soldiers on the Himilayan border. India’s Ministry of Information Technology responded by banning 59 Chinese phone apps, including TikTok, claiming the apps pose a threat to the country’s privacy and data security.

Indian authorities have called on internet service providers to stop anyone in the country from accessing the blocked apps. App stores have been asked to suspend all updates and downloads for TikTok, WeChat and the other blacklisted services.

The actions of the Indian government are expected to deal a serious blow to China’s rapidly expanding technology sector. Internet usage in India is colossal; Indians make up over a third of internet users worldwide. On top of that, India is the most popular country for downloading TikTok, with over 600 million downloads, higher than the US or China. This huge base of users will have to find new platforms for communicating and socializing.^[5]

China has come under harsh criticism for its own internet restrictions. Its government are accused of blocking various foreign news sites and monitoring its citizens. Now, in a strange new twist, Indian authorities are using similar methods to restrict access to a number of Chinese apps. They claim these platforms threaten the country’s sovereignty, but their actions are cutting off millions of users from some of the India’s most popular apps. The jury remains out on whether censorship really is the solution for tackling hostile foreign powers and untrustworthy tech giants.

7 Egyptian women jailed for “inciting debauchery”

In most countries if you tell someone that you work as a “social media influencer” the worst you can expect is a roll of the eyes and a few snarky comments about “entitlement” and “getting a real job”. Admit to it in Egypt and you could find yourself with a two year prison sentence. That is what happened to five young women who in July 2020 were sentenced by Egyptian authorities for uploading “indecent videos” to TikTok.

Influencers Mawada al-Adham and Haneen Hossam leapt to fame on TikTok for their lip sync and dance videos, both gaining millions of followers. But in April 2020 Hossam was arrested after she posted a video explaining how women could earn money talking to strangers on the app Likee. She was accused of inciting debauchery and human trafficking. al-Adham was arrested shortly after, along with three other women who have not been named.

The social media stars have been prosecuted for “violating family values and principles and establishing and running online accounts to commit this crime.” On top of their prison sentences, they were each fined 300,000 Egyptian pounds ($19,000).^[6]

6 Use of unlicensed music

TikTok is reshaping the way we listen to music. Songs like Lil Nas X’s ‘Old Town Road’ and Megan Thee Stallion’s ‘Savage’ have been propelled to global acclaim after finding fame on the app. Budding musicians are now trying to mirror that success by creating the next viral pop sensation. But not everyone in the music industry is smitten with this innovative new platform.

In April 2020, the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) threatened to take TikTok to court for copyright infringement. Universal Music (part of NMPA) had been in talks with the Chinese company since early 2019. But, after a year of negotiation, they had failed to reach an agreement. This meant Universal songwriters like Billie Eilish or Taylor Swift were unable to receive royalties when their music was used in TikTok videos. One spokesperson called it a “blatant infringement … something that is rarely seen at this scale by a large multinational company.”^[7]

But later in July, when a lawsuit seemed almost inevitable, TikTok finally struck a deal with the NMPA. Now, when a piece of music crops up in a video, you can be sure the songwriter is being paid their dues.^[8]

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5 Body shaming—Lizzo steps in

Despite years of campaigns and complaints, “body shaming” lives on. Almost every beauty magazine, TV sitcom and social media app on the planet has fallen foul of it. Now TikTok is the latest platform to be accused of mistreating its users based on the way they look.

In March 2020, popstar Lizzo posted several videos of herself in swimwear to the app. They were swiftly taken down. As an overweight black musician, Lizzo is no stranger her appearance being criticized. The Michigan-born popstar quickly struck back, pointing out the hypocrisy that her videos were deleted when similar content from slimmer models is allowed. “TikTok keeps taking down my videos with me in my bathing suits,” she explained to her followers, “but allows other videos with girls in bathing suits. I wonder why? TikTok … we need to talk.”

TikTok claimed that the videos were removed due to confusion around the rules on “sexual gratification”. They were later reinstated in full.^[9]

4 Australian government threatens to ban it

Some world leaders just need to learn to take a joke. In late 2019, while Australia was being wrecked by bushfires, young people down under used TikTok to air their contempt for Prime Minister Scott Morrison. During the peak of the crisis, Morrison decided to take his family on a six-day holiday to Hawaii. In that time two firefighters died trying to keep the blazes under control.

Understandably, Morrison soon became a figure of ridicule on Australian social media, and the TikTok memes went through the roof. One video mocking the PM to the tune of Billy Joel’s ‘We Didn’t Start The Fire’ gained over 120,000 views in less than a week. Another using September’s 2006 europop hit ‘Cry For You’, which features the lyrics “you’ll never see me again”, was viewed almost 220,000 times. In total the app’s #scomo hashtag had received more than a million views by the time Morrison returned to work.^[10]

Months after his viral infamy, Morrison declared that the Australian government were launching an investigation into TikTok. The PM announced that intelligence agencies would scrutinize the app “very closely” to find out if it threatened the country’s data security. A number of MPs called on Morrison to ban it altogether. Following the investigation, it was decided that TikTok did not compromise Australian security and that it would be allowed to stay up and running.^[11] Looks like he took all those incompetency memes on the chin after all.

3 Stolen content from TikTok reposted on Zynn

In May 2020 a new social media app by the name of Zynn sprung from out of nowhere to the top of the app store charts. The millions of people who downloaded Zynn found an app fit to burst with short videos and skits. Some users were even getting paid to watch certain clips and recommend the app to their friends. The only issue: a significant amount of the content on Zynn is stolen, plagiarised from other platforms and reposted without consent.

TikTok megastars Charli D’Amelio and Addison Rae were among those to have their videos pirated. Others found their entire accounts had been stolen by imposters trying to pass themselves off as authentic internet celebrities. Many creators are perplexed about how videos from their TikTok and Instagram accounts have found their way onto the strange platform.

This kind of fraudulent behavior is nothing new online. Whenever a new social media app crops up people often rush to snap up celebrity usernames and repost stolen content. The suspicious thing about Zynn is that the plagiarized videos date back to February 2020, three months before the app was made publicly available. Zynn have vowed to look into the issue and take action against stolen content. The app also has been accused by several critics of being a pyramid scheme, something its Chinese creators fervently deny.^[12]

2 Data collection allegations

TikTok has come under widespread scrutiny for its collection and safeguarding of data. President Trump asserted on a number of occasions that it poses a major risk to US national security. Wells Fargo, the Californian bank, has instructed all employees to delete it from their phones. British authorities have become so concerned they have decided to hold an inquiry into the app’s data protection protocols for young users.

Western authorities seem to be constantly painting TikTok as a menacing data-hungry e-villain, but is this really the case? No, say the tech experts. While there are definite issues with the app’s handling of data privacy, those issues are in no way unique. It is standard practice for mobile apps to collect and analyze vast amounts of personal information, particularly by monitoring their users’ locations. Most apps on your phone are selling your personal data to third party buyers on a regular basis. It is hugely intrusive, and a little unsettling, but that is the nature of the technology business.

As US-China relationships become increasingly strained, it is understandable for the US government to be uneasy about growing Chinese influence. Secretary of State Mike Pomeo has voiced his concern that, under China’s cybersecurity laws, the Chinese government have the authority to demand users’ data from TikTok. But TikTok claims his worries are misplaced. “We have never provided user data to the Chinese government,” said a spokesperson for the app, “nor would we do so if asked.” Furthermore, there is no evidence that anyone from the Chinese Communist Party has tried to acquire user information from TikTok, or that the company would be forced to oblige.^[13]

1 Blocking user for calling attention to Communist Concentration Camps

The treatment of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang, China has divided and outraged people the world over. Chinese authorities are accused of imprisoning over a million Muslims in concentration camps, designed to brainwash and strip them of their religious identity. Beijing argues that the camps are voluntary re-education centers that help prevent the spread of terrorism. They claim Western governments and media are deliberately misrepresenting the situation.

In 2019, a US teenager uploaded a series of videos to TikTok to bring attention to events in Xinjiang, which she describes as “another Holocaust”. Seventeen year old Feroza Aziz framed her videos as makeup tutorials, teaching viewers how to get long eyelashes. But only seconds in she asks viewers to drop their curlers and instead use their phone “to search up what’s happening in China, how they’re getting concentration camps, throwing innocent Muslims in there, separating families from each other, kidnapping them, murdering them, raping them, forcing them to eat pork, forcing them to drink, forcing them to convert.” The clips have been watched over a million times, and widely shared across Twitter and Instagram.

Feroza Aziz, an Afghan-American from New Jersey, told followers that she had to disguise her videos to avoid them being removed by TikTok. Despite her efforts, the platform suspended Aziz’s account in November 2019.^[14] They later apologized, claiming there had been a “human moderation error” and that her videos did not breach security guidelines.

TikTok has come under attack for judging videos in line with the views of the Chinese government. According to a leaked moderation guide, “highly controversial topics” are banned by the app, “such as separatism, religion sects conflicts, conflicts between ethnic groups, for instance exaggerating the Islamic sects conflicts.” TikTok is also accused of censoring content related to Tibetan independence, Falun Gong and Tiananmen Square.^[15]

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TikTok creators are always cooking up new ways to attract and entertain fans. While many choose to impress by following challenges, others create content that shocks and amazes fans with every post. This list features the scariest videos from the platform that show that a horror hashtag can be just as popular as a new dance. Get a change of underwear ready! Here are the top 10 scariest TikTok videos out there.

10 Lip Syncing with a Demon

TikTok is home to millions of lip sync videos, and every time, users post themselves doing popular challenges. @herony is a master of surprises, and in this video, he has a shocking twist for his fans.

The video starts normally with the young influencer posing as if he’s about to lip-sync to a catchy pop tune. But within seconds the music stops and the camera zooms into a dark corner.

In a video that taps into stereotypical horror tropes, the young man looks possessed, spinning his head in super-speed like a demon. The creepy soundtrack running in the background further adds an eerie effect to the clip. As the video ends, the demon jumps from the corner hands out, looking to grab the viewer through the camera.

If the demon twist doesn’t get you, the outstretched hands will have you pushing your phone away from your face.

9 My Family Wants You for Dinner

School is the best place to meet new people and for kids, it’s the perfect place to make new friends. This TikTok video by @ashurgharavi tells the story of two kids on the verge of being best buddies.

After one kid cannot pay for lunch, a generous stranger offers to pay, claiming that it’s a “good deed.” As the kids build a rapport, the lunch kid gets invited to his new friend’s home. But when they get home, things go awry quickly.

“Mom! I brought dinner,” are the last words the new kid hears before the clip rolls to a stop. From this point, it’s easy to fill in the gaps as to what happens next in this Hansel & Gretel-esque scene. Kids, don’t go for dinner at a strange house without telling your grandma first. You might become the dinner yourself! 

8 Daughter Turned Doll by Store Owner

Individually crafted hyper-realistic dolls are a new fad, and they make for interesting gifts. This TikTok features a special doll that literally comes to life after its real “parents” visit the doll store.

The video posted by @jannet.regina starts with a couple visiting the doll store where they are amazed by a doll they see. But once they press the “ON” button, the doll comes alive, revealing that she’s their long-lost daughter. The text on screen helps drive the story forward, as the dolls narrate how the store owner used magic to turn her into a doll. 

If that one episode of “Night Gallery” wasn’t enough to turn you off to dolls—if “Annabelle” didn’t do the trick—maybe this one will. Any doll that comes to life is enough to make you say “nope,” and leave.

7 Frankenstein’s Monster in the Park

A walk in the park during perfect weather is always relaxing. But what happens when there’s a monster looking for blood in the park?

This video by @shortestblockbusters begins with incredible suspense as a person with a camera records a strange creature. The monstrous creature looks strikingly alien and, hunching over a bit, seems athletic. The user decides to hide behind a tree, avoiding the scary creature. But he’s not very successful.

The most frightening part is when the creature charges at the camera, growling like a predator catching up with its prey. The shaky camera movement, in the end, leaves audiences wondering whether the creature catches up with the person recording it.

If Frankenstein’s monster looks like this, there’s no chance most of us would survive its fury.

6 Midnight Knock on the Door

Midnights are quiet and for any night owl, this is a time to relax or wash dishes before bed. This TikTok is both creepy and disturbing and may have you rethink your night owl ways.

The video posted by @secondhorror starts off perfectly, with a woman washing her dishes in the quiet of the night. She immediately stops when she hears a knock on the door. This is when the video gets interesting—cue mood lighting. Between the pounding at the door and the dog’s barks, the mood unpleasantly shifts.

When she checks and opens the door, there’s no one there. When this happens the second time, she doesn’t take any chances since she knows that something’s off. After scanning the area carefully, she notices a figure from a distance and spots a lady standing menacingly in the dark.

You can bet that she doesn’t go to sleep after this since the mysterious figure looks like she means business. What would you do in the same scenario? Would you go out and confront the creepy lady?

5 Creature Pops Up Behind You

Imagine watching a late-night movie when the TV starts acting up, changing the channel by itself. As you listen to static and see strange patterns on the screen, the TV starts talking to you. It knows what you’ve been doing. What a creeper.

In this @dreamanalytics video, the above scenario unfolds, but it doesn’t end there. As the TikTok continues, the TV gives the clueless man the idea that something sinister is afoot. Indeed, an intruder with a white clown’s face creeps up behind him, watching him closely. In the end, the intruder is beside the man, who is so fearful he isn’t peeking.

The TikTok ends with a crazy clown laugh that leaves you chilly as the screen fades to black. It’s so real that you might end up looking over your shoulder a few times after you watch the video. Are you alone? Are you sure?

4 “Stranger Things” In Seattle

Home is the only place most of us can find peace in a tough world. But it shouldn’t be where we rest in peace! This TikTok from @niko.kent shows how his haunted home robs him of both.

In the video, Niko is panting and breathing heavily. In the background of the video, he records a strange occurrence in his room. In what can only be described as a “Stranger Things” monster, he discovers that he was right to be suspicious. A creature with long skinny black fingers closes the closet doors while making some creepy tapping sounds.

The scared man rushes out of his apartment in an attempt to escape the monster. His caption expresses his fears at the moment, as it reads, “Anyone else seeing weird things in Seattle cuz I’m about to move.” But just when he thinks he’s safe, he hears some undefinable sounds coming from the bottom of the stairs.

Are the aliens here? Is Seattle haunted? Niko thinks so, and his evidence is somewhat convincing.

3 What’s in the Next Stall

School bathrooms are mysterious, and from the many stories people tell, it’s one place you don’t want to visit alone. In this TikTok, @bloodydeeb is in the bathroom when screams and vicious banging break the peaceful silence.

Like any curious soul, the lady investigates the curious noise. To her shock, the banging gets more vigorous and tense, forcing her to freeze on her heels. “Hello?” She probes from a safe distance before dashing out of the bathroom at lightning speed.

It’s only through slow-motion that we get a glimpse of whatever she saw and it is chilling. A disturbing figure with a pale face and black clothing pops out of the last stall at the far end. She didn’t wait to face the terrifying creature, and this might be the best decision she ever made. The video’s caption reads, “Was war das bitte?! (What was that? What was that please?!)

The lesson here is that if you discover a suspicious figure in the bathroom, don’t investigate! Get the heck out of there and find some professional help. But if all horror films followed this logic, we wouldn’t have any movies now, would we? But seriously, “What was that thing?”

2 Lurking in the Ocean

Are you afraid of the ocean? If you have thalassophobia, this video might trigger sleepless nights since it takes you to a place you might never come back home. In the TikTok, @shangerdanger goes out into the ocean and decides to take a dive that might as well be his last.

In a very Nietzsche “stare into the abyss” storytelling style, Shane describes how one can be mesmerized by the ocean to their own detriment. After sailing into the ocean, he dives into the water, and for a moment, things are calm. But once he tries to paddle his way back to the boat, he discovers he can’t.

Before he’s gathered his thoughts, he notices whales sailing away, sort of running from something dangerous. It’s a territorial tiger shark. In the end, “blue turns to black” as the diver accepts his fate.

The video is so creepy and realistic that it has a thalassophobia warning in the title. But you can bet that millions viewed it. When you think about it, the ocean is a magical place, but it’s definitely not where you want to take your last breath.

1 There’s Something in the Shadows

The list has some scary TikTok videos but the top spot goes to this video that had everyone jumping in fear. The video was originally posted by @artem_mokrushin on May 19, 2020, garnering over 20 million views. The horror TikTok was so popular that months after the user posted it on the app, it resurfaced and went viral on Twitter.

So, what made the 15-second video so scary? In the viral video, a man and woman are in their bedroom, probably at the end of a long day. As the man enters the room, he switches off the lights. The disturbing thing is that every time the light flicks off, you can see a creepy shadowy figure approaching the door. But when the man switches the lights back on, there’s nothing there.

When the man switches off the lights the third time, the creepy figure rushes to the screen accompanied by a screaming sound. The darkness, the mysterious character, the shrilling sound, and fast-forward effects catch you off guard. And temporarily make you hate whoever made you watch the video.

Users that watched the video confessed that it made them break their fingernails. They were not prepared for the jump scare. The TikTok scared plenty of folks and the strong reactions it got proves it’s striking. Think you can watch it without getting spooked?