TikToks spark racism debate amid two alleged robberies caught on video

Vastly different reactions to viral online videos of attempted robberies sparked intense condemnation and calls for better protection from racism for young children.

Popular Aboriginal actress and activist Natasha Wanganeen has called on social media giants to do more to protect young Indigenous kids from online racism.

Ms Wanganeen’s comments came after comparisons were made between two viral social media videos of alleged attempted robberies, one involving white teens, the other a young Aboriginal boy.

Polar opposite reactions to the videos sparked fireced online condemnation and were lashed as abhorrent racism.

After being contacted by The Advertiser, TikTok investigated the video involving the Aboriginal boy and removed it, along with the account which posted it.

Despite the video’s eventual removal, Ms Wanganeen, a Ngarrindjeri, Narungga, Kaurna and Noongar woman who starred in Rabbit Proof Fence at age 15, said TikTok and other social media platforms needed to monitor and moderate their content more effectively.

Natasha Wanganeen says social media giants should do more to protect children from racism. Picture: Matt Turner.

“These pages are pumping it out (these videos), we aren’t clickbait,” she said.

Ms Wanganeen denounced the comments on the video of the young boy, and said the comparison between the two video was typical of an ongoing “double standard”.

“It’s time to drop the double standards in this country and start treating our kids as they deserve to be treated,” she said.

“Australians need to stop pretending there isn’t a double standard out there, because there is.

“Teach your kids empathy, understanding and kindness.”

One video, filmed as four young men, whose skin appears white in the video, loot a Burton BWS of four trolleys worth of booze.

Four young men allegedly steal trolley loads of alcohol from the Burton BWS in Adelaide's north. Picture: TikTok

A young Aboriginal boy is filmed carrying a T-shirt out the front of a clothing store. Picture: TikTok

Comments on the video, in part, encourage the behaviour and tell them to “have a good party boys”.

The second video, which was viewed more than 200,000 times before being removed by TikTok, shows a young Aboriginal boy walking out of a shop holding a T-shirt before somebody asks “are you going to pay for that?”

The boy then throws the shirt back into the store and leaves.

Comments on the video of the young Aboriginal boy reference the stolen generation, Australia Day, the Voice to Parliament, Elders and the dreamtime.

Other comments remark on the young boy’s appearance.

The Advertiser has chosen not to publish the comments due to their overt racism.

Discussion over the differing comments spilt over into other social media with Twitter user Melissa Fisher calling out the disparity as an example of Australia being racist.

TikTok user aussiepants used examples from the videos’ comments sections to describe their reaction, saying “the racism is f***ing real”.

A stock image of the TikTok app on a phone. Picture: Joel Saget/AFP/Getty Images

User aussiepants voiced their outrage about the racist comments. Picture: TikTok

A TikTok spokeswoman said the social media giant’s “top priority” was to “maintain a safe and positive environment for everyone”.

“We do not tolerate bullying or racist behaviour and act to remove this type of content from our platform,” she said.

“The video in question has been removed, and the user who posted this content has since been banned.

“Indigenous Australians are a critical and vibrant part of the TikTok community and we care deeply about the experience of First Nations people on our platform.”

Originally published as TikToks spark racism debate amid two alleged robberies caught on video