Bill Maher Concerned About the Way Information Is Spread on TikTok Among Young People
Bill Maher recently discussed the dissemination of information among the youth via social media, with a focus on TikTok. During the latest episode of Real Time, he highlighted a recently removed viral video on the platform.
The video featured a teenager reading Osama bin Laden's 2002 «Letter to America,» containing antisemitic remarks and an attempt to justify the 9/11 attacks, resulting in nearly 3,000 deaths and thousands injured in the U.S.
In his opening monologue, Maher expressed concern about a shift in kids' interests on TikTok, jokingly linking it to the past Tide pods challenge. He remarked on the transition from supporting Hamas to supporting Osama bin Laden.
Maher's remarks follow criticism from Jewish celebrities such as Sacha Baron Cohen, Debra Messing, and Amy Schumer.
They expressed concern over a surge in antisemitic rhetoric on TikTok after the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, which has unfortunately led some young people to express support for Osama bin Laden.
Reportedly, over 30 influential people engaged in a contentious call with TikTok executives recently. During the conversation, Sacha Baron Cohen asserted that what is happening at TikTok is creating the largest antisemitic movement since the Nazis.
The presenter proceeded to share a quote from a Washington Post article, noting that by Wednesday night, bin Laden's «Letter to America» had sparked conversations among left-wing creators on the video app. Some expressed that its critiques of American foreign policy had offered insights into a history they hadn't previously learned.
During Friday's Real Time episode, Maher revisited the TikTok topic in a panel discussion with Donna Brazile, a Georgetown University professor and prominent media
