When videos regarding Osama bin Laden’s 2002 ‘Letter to America’ went viral on the platform and were re-uploaded to the social media network X, TikTok banned the hashtag #lettertoamerica from its search feature.
On social media, some people claimed that the document, written by the founder of Al Qaeda, provided a different viewpoint on American involvement in Middle Eastern conflicts. This letter was written by bin Laden around a year after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, which claimed the lives of almost 3,000 Americans. TikTok users have been posting the link to The Guardian’s transcript of bin Laden’s letter throughout the week. The Guardian’s online platform initially featured the letter but it was subsequently removed.
Bin Laden aimed to respond to the following queries in his letter to the American people: ‘Why are we fighting and opposing you?’ and ‘What is the purpose of our call, and what do we expect from you?’ The letter uses homophobic and anti-Semitic invective. Due to the letter’s viral nature, criticism of the ByteDance-owned site has resurfaced. Since the U.S. and other nations claim the app poses a threat to national security, it has come under increasing scrutiny over the past year. Opponents of the app have claimed that it is using its power to promote content that is anti-Israel and at odds with American foreign policy goals ever since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7. TikTok, however, insists that the claims of bias are unfounded.
The Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a research organization focused on studying extremism on social media, reported the discovery of 41 videos titled ‘Letter to America’ on TikTok. While TikTok has limited the ability to search for ‘Letter to America,’ the institute disclosed that videos associated with it remain readily accessible by using the search term ‘Bin Laden.’ In these videos, Bin Laden’s letter criticizes U.S. support for Israel and accuses Americans of contributing to the oppression of Palestinians. Bin Laden, who met his demise during a U.S. special operation in Pakistan in 2011, also voiced disapproval of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Kashmir, Chechnya, and Lebanon. Online discussions have emerged, utilizing Bin Laden’s words as a starting point to talk about American foreign policy in the Middle East.
Many have said it made them rethink their opinions about the U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Even while the United States’ involvement in international conflicts was criticized, many people made it clear that they did not support or condone bin Laden’s planning of the 9/11 attacks. People on the platform who were quoting the letter urged others to read it because they claimed it would help them comprehend American activities in the Middle East and the Israel-Hamas conflict. Additionally, the videos went viral on X, where some people revived calls for TikTok’s ban. Many videos discussing the letter were taken down from TikTok, even though the letter has been re-uploaded there.
According to research conducted by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, from Tuesday to Thursday, mentions of bin Laden on X increased by more than 4,300%, from slightly over 5,000 to over 230,000. With 719 million impressions across the platform, references to ‘Letter to America’ increased by more than 1,800%, from just over 4,800 to 100,000. Google Trends shows that from Tuesday to Thursday, searches for bin Laden on YouTube increased by 400%. Users were helped to locate ‘Letter to America’ by Instagram’s autosuggest feature, which listed it as a ‘popular search.’
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