TikTok joins the war in the Middle East, allowing users to apply filters to their profiles supporting their respective sides for who should control of the Gaza strip: Israel or Palestine.
Jordan Johnson’s “watermelon” filter has gone viral, using it to help raise awareness and funds to aid the Palestinians living in Gaza. This TikTok filter was named “Filter For Good.” Here is what the content creator has to say about the filter:
“USE THIS FILTER 🍉 To help the people of Gaza. As an AR creator, I am part of the effect Creator Rewards program – basically like the creativity fund but for effect creators. This allows me to earn money for each unique video published using my effects. I have created this FILTER FOR GOOD effect and will be donating the rewards earned to charities providing aid in Gaza. I know many of us don’t know how to help, but it can be as simple as posting a video with this filter.”
The watermelon image was apparently selected to resemble the red, black, and green colors of the Palestinian flag. The user has a triangular slice of watermelon with the finger controlling to match a gray squiggly line collecting seeds as the person moves forward. When finished, the user gets a surprise above his or her head with many watermelon slices floating around.
In reaction to this filter, Eden Ben Zaken created two “counterwar ” filters in support of Israel: “Donation” and “Stand With Us.” In this, users shoot blue pens into a stationery holding device. However, users were opposed to using their faces with this. Thus, Ben Zaken simplified it to a hand with the text “Now and Always–We Stand With the People Of Israel.”
“There are, of course, those who are against us, but I also received quite a few supportive and reinforcing messages asking me to continue and saying how important it is to have advocacy from the Israeli side. What is important to me is less the filter or how many views and shares there will be, but to establish the presence of an Israeli voice on the networks. Hasbara is so important to me and I make sure to share and upload content all the time, even though it often gets aggressive or irrelevant responses.”
While having all voices heard is necessary, the fear of allowing filters on this type of platform is that–while support may spread on all sides–the essential facts remain missing.
