TikTok “prohibits” dangerous content? That’s news to us.
TikTok has responded to the viral, bone-breaking Milk Crate Challenge, saying they will “remove” such videos from their platform.
The low-cost, high-impact stunt involves stacking a bunch of plastic milk crates into stairs, then climbing up to the top and back down the other side without collapsing the pyramid — or your rib cage. Very few to attempt the feat were able to hold their balance on the unsteady structure.
Physicians, meanwhile, looked on in horror — with the expectation they’ll see an uptick in orthopedic injuries tied to the challenge.
Fast Company reached out to the video-sharing platform for comment on the latest death-defying trend to hit their app — and it seems they’re none too entertained.
“TikTok prohibits content that promotes or glorifies dangerous acts, and we remove videos and redirect searches to our Community Guidelines to discourage such content,” the social media platform said in a statement. “We encourage everyone to exercise caution in their behavior whether online or off.”
The succinct statement comes as the #milkcratechallenge racked up more than 9 million views on TikTok as of Tuesday afternoon, according to Fast Company — before the app apparently removed the hashtag from their platform altogether.
Dozens of individual Milk Crate Challenge videos have gone viral in just a few days, including one involving none other than New York’s Finest. Yes, the folks charged with keeping their communities safe are also accused of engaging in random acts of jackassery.
The officer failed to complete the challenge, but his run of it clocked more than a whopping 15 million views as of Tuesday. The NYPD, meanwhile, offered its own take on the stunt.
“We encourage all our officers to engage the community in a positive and proactive manner,” the department said in a statement after the video surfaced.