TikTok Removes Videos of Viral Trend "Devious Licks" Promoting Students to Steal School Properties
TikTok on Wednesday confirmed that they were removing videos of the viral trend known as "Devious Licks" on their platform, claiming that the content violates their community guidelines.
The said TikTok viral trend was known to let students post videos of the items that were owned by their school.
"We expect our community to stay safe and create responsibly," a TikTok spokesperson said in an emailed statement, adding that their company does not allow content that promotes criminal activities among their users.
The company continued that they will remove all the videos with the "Devious Licks" content and the hashtags in the videos will be redirected to their social media platform's community guidelines "to discourage such behavior."
TikTok Viral Trend "Devious Licks"
Devious Licks started to become a viral trend when a user identified as @jugg4elias posted a video of himself where pulled a box of disposable face masks out of his backpack. The first video of the trend gathered at least gathered roughly 239,000 views in a week.
Other users then followed the trend including a user who showed that a microscope was his "devious lick," gathering at least 2.6 million views.
Apart from masks and microscopes, USA Today reported that school supplies and even soap dispensers were stolen by the students just to post content on the trend.
A TikTok account named Know Your Meme covered the viral trend and showed that many users hopped in the devious. The video showed that students stole working computers, security cameras, fire alarms ore straight from the school's wall, and even soaps dispensers.
@knowyourmeme## ♬ original sound - Know Your Meme
Know Your meme also shared that the trend also occurred outside of school, mentioning one user who stole a piece of the wall from the cinema. Furthermore, Know Your Meme also alleged that the trend started on September 1.
In an interview, Phillip Hamilton an editor from Know Your Meme shared that the contents with the theme devious licks also sprung outside TikTok, contending that videos of the viral trend also appeared on other social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.
Although TikTok is working to remove content about the viral trend devious lick, it was not the first time the video-sharing app resorted to t such measures. Recently, the social media app moved to remove the hashtag and videos of the milk crate challenge where people try to climb pyramids made of milk crates, which led to some injuries.
Schools Pushback on TikTok Viral Trend "Devious Licks"
Schools were also alarmed and disappointed over the said TikTok viral trend, as some schools moved to stop the trend, including Fairfax County public schools in Northern Virginia that sent out notices to parents to dissuade their children from engaging the trend.
Michael Lawrence from the Seminole County Public Schools said that students who were caught engaging in the said viral trend will receive repercussions from their school district. Lawrence furthered that students, who will be caught engaging in the trend, could face suspension, expulsion, or they will be removed from clubs or sports if they participate in those.
River Ridge High School in Florida posted a statement on their Facebook page saying that they will seek the help of law enforcement authorities to provide consequences to whoever was caught involved in the destruction cheering or watching of the TikTok viral trend.
"As a principal, I cannot fathom why students would want to destroy their school," the River Ridge High School principal said in a statement.
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This article is owned by Latin Post
Written By: Joshua Summers
WATCH: Devious Licks TikTok Compilation - From tiktoktrends