Libs Of TikTok Again At The Center Of Attention Because Of Elon Musk Reply And Alleged Threats

June 14th, 2022 - 1:04 PM EDT by Aidan Walker

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Tweets and profile pictures pertaining to the Libs of TikTok controversy.

The Twitter account @LibsofTikTok on Monday shared alleged death threats it has received online, prompting a response from Elon Musk and criticism from many others.


The Libs of TikTok account is known for reposting videos from TikTok made by mostly left-leaning accounts that attempts to mock or criticize them. It has been widely condemned for spreading hate messages and is even reportedly linked to the recent attempt to disrupt a Pride event in Idaho.

Libs of TikTok gained considerable notoriety after an article in the Washington Post by journalist Taylor Lorenz reportedly unmasked the account and publicly shared the name and identity of its admin, an action which many defenders of Libs of TikTok called doxxing.


Amid the current controversy taking place within the last two days, the account shared “receipts” of purported online harassment it had suffered.


Despite the posts, some on Twitter questioned the validity of the death threats Libs of TikTok received.


The account swiftly capitalized on the publicity of Elon Musk’s reply and on the retorts of liberals. Some of those the account argued with were also thrilled at the exposure.


Lorenz also covered the story and noted Musk's reported ties to the satire news site The Babylon Bee.

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Libs of TikTok also shared what it alleges to be a screenshot from an internal Twitter employee chat, showing that the company has considered deplatforming the account. The "fiduciary interest" alluded to in the screenshots is purportedly Musk's ongoing attempt to purchase the platform in order to defend his idea of a public square that would allow accounts like Libs of Tik Tok to say whatever they want without consequences.


The account has continued to face sincere criticism. Some of the content Libs of TikTok shares is criticized by many on the left as alleged hate speech against LGBTQ+ people. A common theme of the account's posts in recent weeks is mocking drag queens and efforts by liberals to spread awareness about LGBTQ+ identities — such as the contentious Drag The Kids To Pride event.

The account has also been accused of "stochastic terrorism" by some, dehumanizing LGBTQ+ people in order to make violent acts against them more justifiable in the eyes of a broader public. Regardless, it has figured out how to manipulate and manage controversy to its advantage as the account has grown its following recently.


Elon Musk's advocacy on behalf of Libs of Tik Tok seemed to have borne fruit, with the account reporting that Twitter Support had sent it e-mails dealing with the threats in the hours after Musk's tweet.




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