TikTok dancing our way to war with Russia



Remember when Dr. Fauci joined forces with TikTok influencers to push the COVID-19 vaccine and combat “vaccine misinformation” after closing schools and churches for months while lying about gain-of-function research during the pandemic?

The North American Treaty Organization is trying the same thing on foreign policy. As the latest PR stunt, NATO enlisted 16 content creators and paid for all transportation, meals, and accommodation for its annual summit to help improve the organization’s reputation and inform the youth about the importance of the alliance amid the endless Russia-Ukraine war. The U.S. State and Defense Departments also invited an additional ten influencers.

Posting little 30-second propaganda videos on TikTok probably isn’t going to restore Americans’ trust in the West’s foreign policy establishment. America’s conservative grassroots is fed up with globalist organizations like NATO and the World Trade Organization taking advantage of America’s military and industrial base.

TikTok influencers met with some of the world’s most powerful people and parroted NATO talking points to their online audiences.

General Philippe Lavigne, NATO supreme Allied commander transformation, posted a selfie with the influencers on X and wrote: “Great discussions with content creators at the #NATO Youth & Academia evening reception! Together, we're fighting disinformation & fostering critical thinking. Their fresh perspectives & innovative storytelling, their commitment to promoting reliable info empowers young people to make informed decisions about their future security. #ProtectTheFuture.”

After listening to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speak on climate change, TikTok influencer Amanda Round said, “I believe that [NATO is] a necessary organization, obviously in our political climate right now in terms of defense, but also in terms of other looming threats such as climate change,” she said in an interview. “I would encourage young people to become more engaged with it.”

Similarly, local DC. influencer Anthony Polcari, also known as “Tony P,” agreed to attend the summit since he believes in NATO’s mission, claiming, “We need organizations like NATO not only to protect nations from war but to prevent war.”

A propaganda campaign

Believing NATO prevents war is a bit of a stretch in 2024. NATO, which once was a primarily defensive alliance, is now largely ideological, propagandizing Wilsonian liberal internationalism while promoting mass migration, “hate speech” restrictions, and socially liberal causes like transgenderism.

At the height of the war in Ukraine, when Ukraine was performing better than expected, NATO killed a peace and neutrality agreement between Russia and Ukraine, which the Russian delegation wanted, according to a top Zelenskyy official. “Boris Johnson came to Kiev and said, ‘We will not sign anything with them and let’s just make war!’” the official added.

Furthermore, this propaganda campaign aims to win back the American public, which has lost trust in the alliance and its missions. The U.S. has a ballooning national debt and crumbling infrastructure. Since its involvement with NATO, the U.S. has been exceedingly generous to NATO, while other countries were reluctant to spend, enabling and indirectly funding Europe’s lavish welfare states.

President Trump, with many Americans, shares the sentiment that globalist organizations like NATO have taken advantage of U.S. generosity. “I didn’t know what the hell NATO was too much before,” Trump said during his Florida campaign rally. “But it didn’t take me long to figure it out, like about two minutes. And the first thing I figured out was they were not paying. We were paying, we were paying almost fully for NATO. And I said that’s unfair.”

Despite NATO nations committing to spend at least 2% of their GDP on defense, only recently, when Europe came face to face with Putin’s antics, did the majority of NATO countries contribute the agreed minimum. According to a Cato Institute policy analysis, “the United States has averaged about 36 percent of allied GDP but more than 61 percent of allied defense spending” since roughly 1960. And even as the West faces threats from China, the U.S. and NATO weapons stockpiles remain “dangerously low” after arming Ukrainians.

Posting little 30-second propaganda videos on TikTok probably isn’t going to restore Americans’ trust in the West’s foreign policy establishment. America’s conservative grassroots is fed up with globalist organizations like NATO and the World Trade Organization taking advantage of America’s military and industrial base, and the left is furious at Western leaders for aiding and abetting a “genocide” in Gaza. Whether you like it or not, the liberal international order is approaching its final days, and 20-something TikTokers won’t save it.

Banning TikTok raises some thorny free speech issues



You might have heard about the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act this week. On social media — and even in some headlines — it’s been referred to as the “Ban TikTok” bill.

The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act addresses concerns regarding TikTok’s ties to its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. So far, it’s gained unanimous approval from the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee. With a vote of 50 to 0, the committee advanced legislation that “would make it illegal for U.S. entities to distribute, maintain or update apps or other immersive technology owned by ByteDance.”

It wouldn’t just be cute girls who do silly dances (or trad wives who make cooking videos, as it were) who are losing their income. There would potentially be millions of small businesses and retailers who rely on TikTok as both an e-commerce platform and a valuable tool for advertisement and distribution.

It underscores bipartisan concern over the national security implications of allowing a major U.S. adversary like China access to Americans’ data through TikTok (and platforms like it). Introduced just days ago, the bill’s swift movement through the House reflects the urgency attributed to these national security concerns. It follows a history of legislative actions aimed at curbing TikTok's presence on federal devices and attempts by state legislatures to ban the app, including the RESTRICT Act last year.

TikTok has argued that the legislation, if enacted, could lead to an outright ban of the platform in the U.S., impacting its 170 million American users and almost 7,000 U.S. employees. In a post on X, the company has contended, “This legislation has a predetermined outcome: a total ban of TikTok in the United States. The government is attempting to strip 170 million Americans of their Constitutional right to free expression,” warning of significant economic repercussions for users who rely on the platform for an income.

TikTok makes a salient point about the potential impact. In the last few years, it’s become a lot more than just the “dumb dancing app” it once was (and that some legislators have recently referred to it as). It’s easy to think that when TikTok warns that “creators will lose an income,” they mean influencers, but the implications of this bill would be a lot further reaching.

It wouldn’t just be cute girls who do silly dances (or trad wives who make cooking videos, as it were) who are losing their income. There would potentially be millions of small businesses and retailers who rely on TikTok as both an e-commerce platform and a valuable tool for advertisement and distribution.

It would be tantamount to Etsy or eBay and Instagram disappearing. Technically, it is possible for a small business to overcome but difficult for people who've already built a dedicated following.

If TikTok is banned as a result of this bill, would the government have any responsibility to assist these creators and retailers? Or would it be — in layman’s terms, at least — a simple case of “too bad”? Would they have to do what millions of other Americans have done as tech evolves and bubbles burst? Platforms die organically all the time, and people lose money.

Would it matter that this time, it happened due to legislation?

Even if TikTok is as bad as its critics claim, giving the government the power to arbitrarily ban apps it doesn't like could set a dangerous precedent.

Both the White House and House Republicans have countered TikTok's claims, clarifying that the bill's intent is not to ban the app outright but to ensure it does not remain under foreign control that could threaten national security. In a post on X, Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) responded, “TikTok is LYING to the American people about our bill. It does not ban the app, but offers them a pathway to remain in the U.S.”

And he’s right: The bill provides a framework for TikTok to continue operating in the U.S. That framework is divesting from ByteDance, thus severing ties with China.

It’s yet to be seen if they’re willing to sell. As it stands, it sounds like they’re not.

Young Americans use TikTok to promote Osama bin Laden's 'Letter to America' that tries to justify 9/11 terror attacks



Young Americans are embracing and promoting Osama bin Laden's "Letter to America" – a document from 2002 that attempts to justify the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Osama bin Laden's letter to U.S. citizens was released just over a year after the 9/11 terror attacks that took the lives of nearly 3,000 Americans. The document from the al Qaeda leader reveals bin Laden's grievances toward Western nations' involvement in the Middle East. The radical Islamist also lambastes the United States for supporting the state of Israel.

The al Qaeda leader demands that American citizens "stop your oppression, lies, immorality, and debauchery that has spread among you."

"We call you to be a people of manners, principles, honor, and purity; to reject the immoral acts of fornication, homosexuality, intoxicants, gambling's, and trading with interest," the letter reads.

Osama describes the U.S. as the "worst civilization witnessed by the history of mankind."

The notorious terrorist leader pushes an anti-Semitic trope that the policies, media, and economy of the U.S. are controlled by Jews.

The letter attempts to justify attacking innocent American civilians because citizens voted for their elected leaders who support Israel.

"The American people are the ones who choose their government by way of their own free will; a choice which stems from their agreement to its policies," the two-page letter reads. "Thus the American people have chosen, consented to, and affirmed their support for the Israeli oppression of the Palestinians, the occupation and usurpation of their land, and its continuous killing, torture, punishment, and expulsion of the Palestinians. The American people have the ability and choice to refuse the policies of their Government and even to change it if they want."

Osama adds, "Also the American army is part of the American people. It is this very same people who are shamelessly helping the Jews fight against us."

The al Qaeda founder says:

The American people are the ones who pay the taxes which fund the planes that bomb us in Afghanistan, the tanks that strike and destroy our homes in Palestine, the armies which occupy our lands in the Arabian Gulf, and the fleets which ensure the blockade of Iraq. These tax dollars are given to Israel for it to continue to attack us and penetrate our lands. So the American people are the ones who fund the attacks against us, and they are the ones who oversee the expenditure of these monies in the way they wish, through their elected candidates.

The U.S. Department of State previously noted that bin Laden "signed and issued a Declaration of jihad (holy war) from Afghanistan entitled, 'Message from Usama bin Laden to his Muslim Brothers in the Whole World and Especially in the Arabian Peninsula: Declaration of Jihad Against the Americans Occupying the Land of the Two Holy Mosques; Expel the Heretics from the Arabian Peninsula.'"

Osama also issued two fatwas against the U.S. and American citizens in 1998, ordering Muslims to "prepare as much force as possible to terrorize the enemies of God."

Young Americans have been championing the document on social media despite the fact that the letter tries to justify attacks on the United States and its people.

Journalist Yashar Ali wrote on the X social media platform: "Over the past 24 hours, thousands of TikToks (at least) have been posted where people share how they just read Bin Laden’s infamous 'Letter to America,' in which he explained why he attacked the United States."

"The TikToks are from people of all ages, races, ethnicities, and backgrounds," Ali wrote in the social media post that included a compilation of TikTok videos promoting Osama's "Letter to America." "Many of them say that reading the letter has opened their eyes, and they’ll never see geopolitical matters the same way again. Many of them — and I have watched a lot — say it has made them reevaluate their perspective on how what is often labeled as terrorism can be a legitimate form of resistance to a hostile power."

The sudden resurgence of the "Letter to America" on TikTok follows the start of the Israel-Hamas war – which has sparked polarizing debate online.

Pro-Palestinian activist Lynette Adkins told her 177,000 TikTok followers, "I need everyone to stop what they're doing right now and go read – it's literally two pages. Go read 'A Letter to America," Adkins said in the video. "And please come back here and just let me know what you think because I feel like I'm going through, like, an existential crisis right now and a lot of people are, so I just need someone else to be feeling this."

One social media influencer said, "So I just read ‘A Letter to America’ and I will never look at life the same, I will never look at this country the same."

Another TikTok user stated that they are "trying to go back to life as normal” after “realizing everything we learned about the Middle East, 9/11, and ‘terrorism’ was a lie.”

One netizen claimed the terrorist document "changed my entire perspective on the American government."

A TikTok personality said a video regarding the "Letter to America" received 1.2 million views in less than 24 hours.

The #lettertoamerica hashtag had more than 13.9 million views as of Thursday, according to Forbes.

However, a TikTok spokesperson said the hashtag is not trending on the social media platform.

"The number of videos on TikTok is small and reports of it trending on our platform are inaccurate,” spokesperson Alex Haurek said in a statement on Thursday.

"Content promoting this letter clearly violates our rules on supporting any form of terrorism," Haurek continued. "We are proactively and aggressively removing this content and investigating how it got onto our platform."

After the document went viral, the Guardian newspaper removed Osama's "Letter to Americans" from its website – which it had initially published in 2002.

"The transcript published on our website 20 years ago 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," a spokesperson for the Guardian said.

— (@)

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'New digital warfare': Kentucky students charged with making terroristic threats in alarming TikTok challenge



Three Kentucky high school students were charged with making terroristic threats. The teens allegedly made the threats as part of an alarming TikTok challenge.

Two Oldham County high school students, aged 15, were charged with terroristic threatening in the second degree, police said. Another 15-year-old was charged with terroristic threatening in the third degree, according to CBS News.

The names of the students were not released because they are minors. The students attend Oldham County High School and South Oldham High School.

In mid-August, the three students allegedly recorded videos of themselves telling teachers that there was a bomb or a gun in their backpack as a "joke," according to police. The bomb threats turned out to be a hoax. The supposed prank is part of a concerning TikTok challenge.

The Oldham County school district reportedly suspended the three students, and the teens must complete a mental health screening before returning to school.

"We are going to take every single threat seriously because our students deserve to go to a school that's safe," said Eric Davis – the director of student services for Oldham County Schools.

The Oldham County school district sent out a letter warning parents about the disturbing TikTok challenge.

"As previously communicated in a letter to families regarding terroristic threatening, students who participate in this type of behavior face serious consequences," the letter read, according to WDRB. "In addition to school-level discipline, students are prosecuted to the greatest extent of the law for making a threat to a public school."

"Whether written or spoken, all threats are taken seriously, and students need to know the repercussions of these actions, both short and long-term," the letter continued. "Even if they are not credible threats, they can cause a great deal of stress or anxiety for our students, families, and staff."

TikTok removed the terroristic videos at the school district's request.

The school district urged parents to monitor their children's social media accounts and notify authorities if they see anyone making terroristic threats, even if they are part of the social media challenge.

Dr. Karen Freberg – a professor of strategic communications at the University of Louisville – called the worrisome social media trend a "new digital warfare."

"It's kind of the new digital warfare – in many ways – that we're kind of seeing being played out in various circles," Freberg told WDRB.

"Parents need to be a partner with their kids to educate, to learn, and to have these open discussions about the risks and dangerous sides of these kinds of trends," she added.

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School administrators seeing a pattern in false bomb threats www.youtube.com

'Unrecognizable': Boy burned over 76% of his body after dangerous TikTok challenge

'Unrecognizable': Boy burned over 76% of his body after dangerous TikTok challenge



A boy participating in a TikTok challenge was burned over 76% of his body when a makeshift flamethrower blew up, engulfing him in flames, WRAL reported.

"He's unrecognizable. Unrecognizable," Mason Dark's mother, Holli Dark, told the outlet, describing her son's current condition.

Mason Dark, 16, was severely injured in the ensuing explosion after accepting a dare to use a lighter and a can of spray paint to make a torch April 23.

Mason, a 16-year-old student athlete at Heritage High School in Wake Forest, North Carolina, is now at the University of North Carolina's Burn Center, where he will likely remain for at least six months.

Photos of Mason in his hospital room show him covered in dressings, connected to a ventilator and other medical devices.

Mason underwent surgery Wednesday for skin grafts, the outlet reported. His mother described the process as "like seeding a lawn" to see the teen's skin slowly heal.

Holli Dark told the outlet Mason immediately jumped in a river in an attempt to soothe the pain. When he tried to take off his shirt, she explained, "it got stuck or something," and created third degree burns in the shape of a "T" on his back.

Heidi Simpson, Mason's grandmother, has posted several updates on her grandson's condition. In the most recent update, Mason's "BoBo" says that he is having a rough time being weaned from the ventilator.

Simpson describes Mason as a "very active 16 year old" who plays football at his high school and runs track in the summer. She says he has a job he enjoys and looks forward to getting his license.

Simpson set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds to support her grandson's care. As of Sunday afternoon, the campaign had raised over $30,000.

In a Saturday update, Simpson expressed her gratitude for the prayers, love, support, and generous donations.

"We are humbled by everyone’s kindness! We thank everyone for their thoughts, prayers, support and love. Thank you for everyone that has offered help with [Mason's 13-year-old brother] Austin or help with other needs. Please keep praying!!!! The Lord is in control," Simpson wrote.

Watch WRAL's coverage of the horrific, life-threatening injuries sustained by 16-year-old Mason Dark after participating in a TikTok challenge to make a mini flamethrower.



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Police threaten harsh consequences after teens attack young boy in latest TikTok challenge



A group of teenagers attacked a young boy in Peachtree City, Georgia, recently by shooting him with a gel-pellet gun, resulting in injuries to his face and body, police said.

The assault was reportedly a part of a new TikTok social media "challenge."

"We continue to see teenagers utilizing the cart path while discharging splat ball guns (Orbeez) at other people on the cart path, even at innocent bystanders," the Peachtree City Police Department said in a Facebook post last week. "Now they are modifying the beads to be more painful."

The department included photos of the boy in its post that showed his face bloodied by the impact of at least one of the gel pellets. Police added that the boy was riding his bicycle on the cart path when he was assaulted without provocation.

According to NEXSTAR, similar random attacks have been happening across the country in recent weeks as teenagers on TikTok take part in the new trend.

The #OrbeezChallenge apparently dares teens to fill gel-ball guns or airsoft guns with the circular Orbeez water beads and fire them at strangers.

In some cases, the teens have been freezing the beads to make them more painful, the New York Post reported. In other cases, challengers have been caught firing at moving vehicles.

HEADS UP: The Orbeez Challenge can get you in trouble. Multiple agencies have had reports of people hit by gel beads fired from toy blaster guns.\nRecently, deputies arrested a 19-year-old who shot an Amazon driver in @CityofDeltona. He was hit in his glasses & neck while driving.pic.twitter.com/RI6GQvElVz
— Volusia Sheriff (@Volusia Sheriff) 1647442547

Videos of the challenge on TikTok reportedly show teens laughing as they fire the pellets with their friends.

But the nation's police are reportedly cracking down on the trend and warning would-be participants that harassing innocent bystanders and, in some cases, injuring them is no laughing matter.

The 19-year-old who fired at the delivery driver in Florida reportedly also shot another random adult and a 10-year-old child in the face and chest. In return, he was charged with shooting into an occupied vehicle, child abuse, and two counts of battery, authorities said.

In their Facebook post, Peachtree police warned that people caught firing the weapons at others on city property would face harsh penalties, including potential felony charges. The department added that parents could also be held liable for the actions of their kids.

In a statement to NPR, Spin Master, the company that makes Orbeez, said children's product safety is "paramount" and that it "does not manufacture or sell gel guns."

"Orbeez are designed for educational, creative, and sensory play and are not intended to be used as projectiles or inserted in mechanisms," the company continued.

Dangerous social media trend: Police warning public of new ‘Orbeez challenge’ www.youtube.com

Amazon's Alexa dares young child to perform dangerous — and life-threatening — 'challenge'



Amazon was forced to update Alexa's settings this week after the voice assistant reportedly dared a 10-year-old child to perform a dangerous and potentially life-threatening "challenge."

What are the details?

A mother and her young daughter were hanging out over Christmas break, reportedly performing physical challenges around the house, when the child asked the family's Echo Dot to suggest another "challenge to do."

In response, Alexa suggested that the child “plug in a phone charger about halfway into a wall outlet, then touch a penny to the exposed prongs." It's a dangerous TikTok trend from last year that can cause anything from sparks and a ruined electrical outlet to electric shock or a large fire.

The mother, Kristin Livdahl, documented the startling suggestion on Twitter in disbelief.

OMFG My 10 year old just asked Alexa on our Echo for a challenge and this is what she said.pic.twitter.com/HgGgrLbdS8
— Kristin Livdahl (@Kristin Livdahl) 1640554938

"We were doing some physical challenges, like laying down and rolling over holding a shoe on your foot, from a [Phys.] Ed teacher on YouTube earlier. Bad weather outside. She just wanted another one," the mother recounted.

That's when Alexa suggested the challenge that it had “found on the web.”

In another tweet, Livdahl recalled that when the suggestion was made, "I was right there and yelled, No, Alexa, no! like it was a dog."

Thankfully, her daughter didn't participate in the challenge, telling her mother that "she is too smart to do something like that anyway."

What else?

The "penny challenge," as it is called, is one of several dangerous trends that have emerged on TikTok over the past several years. It instructs participants to create an electrical current with a loosely plugged-in wall charger before daring them to drop a coin onto the exposed prongs.

In response to the challenge, fire officials in the U.S. have issued warnings.

Dangers of the TikTok Penny Challenge www.youtube.com

After Livdahl's tweet thread garnered considerable attention, Amazon reached out to the concerned mother. Then in a statement to BBC News, the company said that it had taken "swift action" to resolve the issue.

"Customer trust is at the center of everything we do and Alexa is designed to provide accurate, relevant, and helpful information to customers," Amazon told the news outlet. "As soon as we became aware of this error, we took swift action to fix it."

Amazon's statement was confirmed by CNBC, though that outlet noted the company did not immediately elaborate on what exactly was the “swift action" taken.

Students record video of disabled teacher being brutally attacked; cops think it was a TikTok challenge



A startling video recorded by high school students showed a disabled teacher being brutally attacked and police believe it might have been part of a TikTok challenge.

The incident unfolded at Covington High School in Covington, Louisiana.

The viral cell phone video posted to TikTik and SnapChat showed a student talking to the 64-year-old teacher, who is sitting at her desk.

With apparently no provocation, the student begins to beat the teacher down with her fists.

"She was just talking to the student about a grade, and the child was just explaining their side, and then all of a sudden she was attacked," said St. Tammany Parish School District Superintendent Peter Jabbia to WLL-TV.

The teacher was taken to a hospital for medical attention over her injuries and was later sent home.

"She is very bruised and hurt, she's in a lot of pain, and I just feel for her," he added.

The Covington Police Department later arrested 18-year-old Larrianna Jackson and charged her with battery on a school teacher, a felony.

Police said they were unsure of the motivation behind the attack, but they believe that it might be a part of a TikTok challenge known as "Smack a Teacher." Authorities cautioned schools after the challenge began trending on the popular social media platform.

They are also trying to identify the students who recorded the video and investigating whether they knew the assault was going to occur. More arrests and charges could be made.

Police told WLL that Jackson was uncooperative during the investigation. She was booked into the St. Tammany Parish Jail.

The St. Tammany Parish School District is also investigating and considering disciplinary action against Jackson and those who recorded the video.

Here's more about the harrowing incident:

Covington High student attacks teacher in classroomwww.youtube.com

12-year-old boy brain-dead after attempting TikTok 'blackout challenge'



The family of a 12-year-old boy in Colorado is praying for a medical breakthrough for their son who is in critical condition after attempting a dangerous TikTok challenge.

What are the details?

Joshua Haileyesus was found passed out on the bathroom floor by his twin brother on March 22 after allegedly using a shoelace to attempt the "blackout challenge," a popular social media trend that involves choking oneself until loss of consciousness, KCNC-TV reported.

The boy was reportedly rushed to the hospital, but doctors have since told the family that he is brain-dead and will not recover. Now his parents are begging for more time.

"He's a fighter. I can see him fighting. I'm praying for him every day," Joshua's father, Haileyesus Zeryihun, said, according to the news outlet. "It's just heartbreaking to see him laying on the bed."

"[They] told me the bad news that he's not going to survive, he's not going to make it," the father added. "I was begging them on the floor, pleading to see if they can give me some time, not to give up on him. If I just give up on him, I feel like I'm just walking away from my son."

12-Year-Old Joshua Haileyesus In Critical Condition After Trying 'Blackout Challenge' youtu.be

A family friend told KMGH-TV that he "can't even describe the grief and the devastation. Nobody could ever imagine this would happen to a 12-year-old."

What else?

Dozens of family and friends reportedly gathered at Children's Hospital Colorado on Monday night to pray for Joshua, who has been described as a joyful 12-year-old boy who loves soccer and video games, but who also has a passion for the Army and aspirations to become a pastor.

The boy's family recalled that he used social media frequently and experienced the positive side of it. They noted it helped him discover new passions for things like cooking, guitar, and acting. But now they are warning others about the dangerous side of social media, as well.

"This is something that kids need to be given to be taught, to be counseled. Because this is a serious a serious thing," Zeryihun said. "It's not a joke at all. And you can treat it as if somebody is holding a gun. This is how dangerous this is."

"I want others to see what I'm going through, learn for their children," he added.