The popular social media platform TikTok has recently taken proactive measures to address the controversy arising from posts related to Osama bin Laden’s “Letter to America.”
This letter, written by the al Qaeda commander following the devastating terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, has sparked widespread discussion and raised concerns on the platform.
In this lengthy letter dated 2002, Bin Laden attempted to justify the approximately 3,000-person terror assaults against the United States.
He condemned U.S. military installations in the Middle East and criticized American support for Israel.
The unexpected resurgence of this letter on social media, particularly on TikTok, prompted many users to share their perspectives on how the document changed their views on the 9/11 attacks and U.S. foreign policy.
Despite TikTok’s denial of the trend, the #lettertoamerica hashtag amassed a considerable 13.7 million views as of Thursday afternoon.
In response to the controversy, TikTok issued a statement, clarifying that content promoting the letter violates their rules on supporting terrorism.
The platform has taken a proactive and aggressive stance, actively removing such content and conducting an investigation into how it found its way onto the platform.
“The number of videos on TikTok is small, and reports of it trending on our platform are inaccurate. This is not unique to TikTok and has appeared across multiple platforms and the media,” TikTok emphasized in its statement.
In the circulated letter, Bin Laden not only defended the attacks but also claimed the right to retaliate against those who had harmed civilians.
He criticized the U.S. for exploiting the natural resources of the region and asserted that America understands only one language: violence.
The controversy prompted a response from the White House, with deputy press secretary Andrew Bates condemning acts of antisemitism and violence in the U.S. and other countries, particularly in the aftermath of tragic events in Israel involving Hamas.
Bates highlighted the lack of justification for spreading the “repugnant, evil, and antisemitic lies” issued by Bin Laden after the 9/11 attacks and emphasized that associating with such words insults the 2,977 American families still mourning their loved ones.
The incident underscores the challenges platforms face in managing and curating content that could be perceived as promoting terrorism or hate speech.