A councillor in Co Tyrone has written to social media platform TikTok after receiving complaints about a filter on the app which has left children ‘petrified’.
The ‘ghost filter’ on the popular app generates an image of a scary creature that appears alongside the user. Some local families have jumped on the trend where adults leave the room as the filter is generated, leaving some children screaming in response.
Sperrin area SDLP councillor Jason Barr has written to TikTok in order to have the filter removed after speaking with some local families.
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“Some people see this as funny but I can assure you it’s not funny when you have a child running out of a room screaming after seeing something like this,” Cllr Barr told Belfast Live.
“Some children have been left petrified by this filter and that’s why I’ve got in touch with the platform about getting it removed.
“This morning I have written to Tik Tok in relation to the filter which contains a Ghost type figure which is being used to scare children.
“I find it really alarming that people would scare children in this way and leave them screaming in a locked room. This can have lasting effects on them.
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“Please do not use this filter to scare your own children. It’s simply not normal and definitely is not funny in any way.”
Videos shared on the social media platform using the #ghostfilter hashtag show hundreds of clips of kids being spooked by the filter.
In a statement provided to Belfast Live, TikTok said it was monitoring videos being posted with the filter and will remove content that violates its guidelines.
“The safety and well-being of our community is our priority which is why we prohibit and remove content that promotes the abuse and bullying of minors.," the spokesperson said.
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