said the TikTok trend is a reminder not to share posts about school violence. In Georgia, Atlanta Public Schools said in a letter to parents that some facilities would be beefing up security on Friday, according to local reports, while schools in Polk County closed altogether.Īnd in a letter posted to its Facebook page, Albemarle County Public Schools near Charlottesville, Va. Kaufman High School in Texas also canceled classes, according to a local media report. Little Falls Community Schools in Minnesota said Thursday that it would preemptively close on Friday after the district was “specifically identified in a TikTok post” linked to the warning trend. “This is an illustration of how social media and other communication platforms play a role in spreading threat related narratives, which then can result in the need for escalated security measures in and around parts our critical infrastructure,” the source said.Ī high school science classroom at the Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School, or M348, in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Harlem, New York on July 16, 2020. The situation is an illustration of the current threat environment in the United States, the source added.

“We are deeply concerned that the proliferation of local media reports on an alleged trend that has not been found on the platform could end up inspiring real world harm,” the company said.Ī federal law enforcement source agreed, telling CNN that authorities worry most that the rapidly unfolding social media narrative could drive a lone offender to carry out an actual attack. TikTok said Friday it continues to monitor its platform for suspicious activity, but added that media coverage characterizing the viral trend as a threat of school violence could unintentionally encourage someone who may be predisposed to act - creating the very risks that families fear. Parents of the social media generation are not OK

TikTok first indicated it was aware of the warnings on Thursday afternoon, saying then that it treats “even rumored threats with utmost seriousness.” If we did find promotion of violence on our platform, we’d remove and report it to law enforcement.” “Local authorities, the FBI, and DHS have confirmed there’s no credible threat, so we’re working to remove alarmist warnings that violate our misinformation policy. What we find are videos discussing this rumor and warning others to stay safe,” the company said in a tweet. “We’ve exhaustively searched for content that promotes violence at schools today, but have still found nothing. On Friday afternoon, TikTok said it had begun removing the warnings from its platform as misinformation.

The US Department of Homeland Security said Friday morning it has no evidence to suggest the claims are credible but encouraged the public to “remain alert.” In other areas, law enforcement were on high alert, sending officers to guard schools as a precaution. A vague and viral TikTok trend warning of nationwide school violence on Friday - which authorities have dismissed as not credible - has nevertheless prompted widespread school closures, stretched law enforcement resources and put families on edge ahead of a critical holiday travel season.Ī number of school districts in states ranging from Minnesota to Texas announced they were shutting down schools on Friday in response to a wave of videos, some mentioning specific schools, suggesting that students avoid coming to class on Dec.

Tik tok challenges dec 17