Andrew Tate arrest: TikTok and Twitter under fire
over false posts from fans
Social media firms in spotlight after allowing
conspiracy theories that could affect human-trafficking investigation into
‘king of toxic masculinity’ in Romania
Shanti Das
Sun 1 Jan
2023 08.00 GMT
Social
media firms are under fire this weekend for allowing the spread of
misinformation by followers of “king of toxic masculinity” Andrew Tate after
his arrest in connection with a human trafficking investigation.
In the
hours after his detention, TikTok and Twitter were flooded with posts falsely
claiming he had been freed and conspiracy theories saying he had been set up,
Observer analysis shows.
Imran
Ahmed, chief executive of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, said: “Having
conspiracy theories proliferating which might put at risk the integrity of an
investigation or the safety of those involved is unconscionable.”
Tate, 36, a
British-American internet personality best known for his misogynistic views,
was arrested with his brother Tristan in Romania on 29 December as part of an
investigation into human trafficking, rape and organised crime.
An
investigation by the Observer in August into the former kickboxer and Big
Brother contestant revealed that TikTok was aggressively promoting his content
to users including boys and young men. Members of Tate’s online academy had
been instructed to post deliberately controversial clips in an effort to boost
engagement and manipulate the algorithm.
After his
arrest last week, a statement from prosecutors said four people, including two
Britons, were suspected of being part of a criminal group that sexually
exploited women after luring them with promises of a relationship.
The women
were allegedly subjected to “physical violence and mental coercion through
intimidation, constant surveillance, control and invoking alleged debts” and
forced to make pornographic videos. Six potential victims had been identified.
Further
details of the specific allegations against Tate have not been made public. On
Friday, it was confirmed that he would spend the next 30 days in detention as
Romania’s Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism continues
its inquiries.
On social
media, thousands of supporters have already reached their verdict. On TikTok
and Twitter, Tate’s fans claimed without evidence that he had been framed,
using hashtags such as #freetopG and #tateinnocent. “People lie because they
hate Tate,” one wrote on Twitter. “I’m 100% sure Tate is innocent. FREE TATE,”
said another.
Others
blamed “the Matrix” for setting him up. This was– fuelled by Tate himself in a
tweet posted after news of his arrest: “The Matrix sent their agents,” he wrote
on Friday.
Since the
release of the 1999 sci-fi film about people living in a simulation, where a
man is given the choice to take a red pill and “wake up”, the metaphor has been
repeatedly repurposed in a range of conspiracy theories, as well by fringe
online groups who use “redpill” to mean men waking up to the “reality” that
feminism subjugates them.
On TikTok
on Friday, the most-liked recent video about Tate was one that appeared at
first to be a factual report but ended by asking viewers: “What do you guys
think is the real reason Tate was arrested? Was it the Matrix, or did Tate
actually commit a serious crime?”
On Twitter,
where Tate has more than 4m followers after his account was reinstated in
November, many posts referenced #Pizzagate – a debunked theory that predated
QAnon and claimed senior Democrats were behind a child sexual abuse ring – and
suggested he was being used as a scapegoat by real paedophile rings.
In a video
made shortly before his arrest, after a Twitter spat with the climate activist
Greta Thunberg, Tate had appeared on camera with a pizza box in front of him in
what some speculated was a reference to the conspiracy. “They want to cover up
Pizzagate with Andrew Tate,” one Twitter user wrote, tagging Elon Musk.
Other
accounts posted old videos suggesting Tate had been cleared, despite him
remaining in detention. One clip viewed 780,000 times on Twitter by Saturday
claimed to show him being freed from custody. “Andrew Tate got Released Matrix
attack Failed,” the caption read.
The fierce
defence of Tate and spread of misinformation since his arrest will add to
concerns about the impact on any future legal proceedings and raise questions
for the social media platforms that helped propel him to the mainstream.
In the
weeks after the Observer’s August investigation, TikTok banned Tate’s official
account and said it took a tough stance on hateful content including misogyny.
On Saturday night, TikTok said it had begun a systematic review of content
flagged with it and would remove any that violated its guidelines, which ban
“misinformation that causes significant harm to individuals, our community, or
the larger public”. Twitter did not respond to a request for comment.
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