TikTok Bans Milk Crate Challenge | Viral Trend Removed

TikTok Bans the Milk Crate Challenge

TikTok has prohibited the widely circulated “milk crate challenge” on its platform. This decision stems from significant safety concerns regarding potential serious injuries to users attempting the trend.

The challenge involved participants constructing a pyramid using milk crates and then attempting to traverse the inherently unstable structure.

Company Statement on Dangerous Content

A TikTok representative communicated with TechCrunch via email, stating that the platform’s policies explicitly forbid content that promotes or celebrates perilous activities. Videos violating this policy are removed, and searches are redirected to the platform’s Community Guidelines to deter similar content.

The spokesperson further emphasized the importance of caution, both online and offline, for all users.

The Challenge and Resulting Injuries

Many videos showcasing the challenge depicted individuals falling to the ground while attempting to climb and descend the makeshift milk crate pyramid.

The ban was implemented following vocal concerns raised by healthcare professionals on social media, who highlighted the inherent dangers posed by the trend to participants.

Circumventing the Ban

Currently, searching for the challenge’s hashtag within the app yields a “no results found” message.

Users are informed that the search term may be linked to content that breaches TikTok’s guidelines, and the platform prioritizes a safe and positive user experience.

However, some videos related to the challenge remain accessible if users employ deliberate misspellings of key terms, such as “milk craate” or “milk cratee.”

Despite these videos generally having limited views, they have managed to evade complete removal from the platform.

A History of Dangerous Trends on TikTok

TikTok’s rapid growth in popularity has, unfortunately, been accompanied by the viral spread of numerous hazardous challenges over the past several years.

In 2019, the “throw it in the air” trend gained traction, involving users forming a stationary circle and recording themselves throwing an object upwards to see who it struck.

Past Incidents and Legal Consequences

Last year, the “skull-breaker” challenge, which involved tricking someone into falling backward, led to criminal charges after a teenager required hospitalization as a direct result of the dangerous act.

TikTok’s Response to Safety Concerns

These dangerous trends, including the recent milk crate challenge, have compelled TikTok to proactively address the safety of its users and prevent participation in potentially harmful activities.

TikTok continues to refine its moderation strategies to mitigate risks associated with viral challenges.