An outspoken hill farmer from north Wales has been thrown off video-focused social media TikTok for poking fun at vegans. In response to videos promoting the diet, Gareth Wyn Jones produced his own clips highlighting his love of a fry-up.
On Monday, the Conwy producer discovered he had been blocked from the platform, depriving his 15,000 followers of his videos on livestock farming. The farmer, from Llanfairfechan, claimed he was the victim of a began backlash by "powerful" campaign groups, NorthWalesLive reports.
Tiktok adjudged him guilty of "harassment and bullying" after he brandished a turnip in a video, explaining how vegetables were often fertilised by livestock manure. Within 24 hours the ban had been revoked following an appeal.
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Following his latest run-in with TikTok, Gareth said: "This is the second time I’ve been blocked by them and I’m not that bothered,” he said.
"I’m still on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. All I did was have a bit of fun. To be honest, I’ve actually been quite well behaved recently.”
The ban came 16 months after a similar clash in which he showed a video of a dead pheasant being prepared for lunch. On that occasion he also appealed successfully, having been found guilty of "violent and graphic content".
Gareth, who has one of the biggest social media followings in British farming, landed himself in hot water in his recent TikTok video when Gareth spliced a turnip and said: "I’ll tell you why I’m not a vegan and never will be – because I’m a farmer."
News of his latest temporary TikTok ban caused dismay among his pro-farming supporters. One quipped: “That’s the trouble with today’s youngsters, so easily offended!”
However there was also concern at the way online freedom of speech can be skewed by targeted campaigning. “So TikTok agrees to harassment of working people who feed the nation?” pondered one person.
Veganism is the practice of of abstaining from the use of animal products, particularly in diet, that expounds a "cruelty-free" lifestyle choice which is less harmful to the planet. But their position has irked some livestock farmers, who have been less adept addressing attacks on their profession.
Mr Jones said he "wasn’t going to lose sleep" over his latest TikTok ban. Soon after, as news emerged the ban had been lifted, he said: “Winner winner, no vegan dinner.”
Nevertheless, he worried free speech had become a product of algorithms and tub-thumping. “We have to question the impact on freedom of speech when pressure groups can get people banned from online platforms,” he said.
“People are free to make up their own mind about livestock farming. These groups will keep attacking us and all we can do is to continue what we have been doing for centuries, which is producing food for the nation. And perhaps have a little bit of fun as well.”
