TikTokkers are using a little-known livestreaming feature to cash in on the huge interest in the Israel-Hamas war despite having no links to the crisis. TikTok, meanwhile, is taking up to 50 percent of the earnings.
In the days after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, TikTok creators have been engaging in “live matches” on the platform where one creator plays the role of Israelis and the other that of Palestinians, while encouraging—and often shouting at—their followers to continue to donate expensive gifts. The side with the most gifts after five minutes wins the battle.
Some of these gifts cost hundreds of dollars each, and several livestreams WIRED observed in recent days have continued for multiple hours without a break. One battle had seen the creator representing Palestinians winning 72 matches in a row.
The creators can cash out their winnings for real currency, but only after TikTok itself has taken a major cut of the earnings.
As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to worsen, social media platforms have been accused of allowing disinformation to fester while platforms including TikTok have been accused of silencing certain viewpoints. Now TikTok appears to be profiting off their users’ fascination with Israel and Palestinians, and allowing creators who may not be from Israel or the Palestinian territories to earn money off the conflict.
WIRED found dozens of examples of creators seeking to cash in on people’s interest in the crisis, but one pair of creators appears to be cashing in more than most.
On multiple days over the course of the past week, a Turkish streamer who claims to represent Palestinians battled a Greek-Georgian streamer who claims to represent Israelis. In case there was any doubt about who each was supposedly representing, each had the flag of their respective adopted sides onscreen during the battles.
In all of the battles WIRED observed, none of the participants appeared to have any link to the entities they claimed to be representing, and none of them suggested they were planning on donating any of the money earned to the people directly impacted by the current crisis.
Battles between influencers online have been a feature of streaming services since at least 2016, particularly in China, though on most other platforms, the participants have to complete tasks or show off a skill in order to win a battle. On TikTok, it’s mostly just screaming.
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