If you’ve ever been curious about how TikTok may be labeling you and your content, you may want to try this creator’s viral hack.
In the video, Juliette (@recklesslyl1ving) explains that she may have figured out how to understand what the TikTok algorithm actually thinks about you and your content.
“Do you guys really want to know what you look like?” she asks at the top of the video.
She goes on to explain that when you post a TikTok, a list of pre-generated hashtags automatically comes up for users to choose from. She uploaded a video of herself as a draft and showed viewers the hashtags that came up for her content.
Among them were #tomboy, #emogirlvibes, #indiekid, #lgtbqtrend, #alt, #mascgirl, and #TikToklgbt.
“Nowhere in the video do I say that I’m queer,” she says.
Juliette looks both amused and taken aback by the AI-generated hashtags.
“TikTok is fully, openly judging you with every single thing that you film,” she says.
She tries again with another video and is given the hashtags #britishshorthair, #androgyne, and, once again, #lgtbqtrend.
“In none of my videos do I say that I am LGBTQ, so I don’t know what TikTok is basing this off of,” Juliette says.
The viral video has more than 1.6 million views and thousands of comments.
@recklesslyl1ving Painfully judgemental
♬ original sound – juju
Many commenters tried the hack for themselves and shared the results.
“Mine said “#prettyblackgirl” & “#blackbeauty” I’m gonna go ahead and say TT is accurate,” a commenter shared.
“It literally just fatshamed me i’m a size 12 aswell so idk what to take away from that,” a person said.
A few others included #myforeheadistoobig, #dontwannabepretty, #ineedahaircut, and #sillygoose.
Others were concerned about the hashtags’ implications.
“Part of me is afraid it’s actually just a reflective algorithm mirroring how bigoted ppl are & our data reflects it & we affirm it as correct to TT,” a commenter wrote.
The Daily Dot reached out to Juliette via Instagram DM and to TikTok via email.