A new “Pizzagate” scandal is hitting the headlines, and one TikToker has gone viral for repeating the claims.
But is this a real story? Is it another trumped-up conspiracy that distracts from actual child trafficking concerns?
TikToker and online conspiracy theorist Loca (@yoursstruly.tia) took to her TikTok account on Sept. 19 to repeat an ongoing rumor that online crafts market Etsy was being used for “selling children” online.
Loca has made several conspiracy videos with allegations that include Barbara Bush being a man, celebrities using children’s DNA as cosmetics, and Britney Spears being a clone.
Her claims, for which she shows no empirical proof, went viral on the platform. Her video on Etsy has over 792,700 views as of this writing.
Are her claims purely spurious? Have they already been largely debunked?
A history of child trafficking conspiracies
First, it is important to understand that Loca is repeating a theory that has already been debunked. For all intents and purposes, this seems to be a new Pizzagate scandal rehashed.
It bears many similarities to similarly debunked conspiracy theories such as “Pizzagate” and another widely debunked rumor that the American e-commerce site Wayfair was involved in human trafficking.
“Pizzagate” refers to a 2016 conspiracy theory that falsely claimed that New York City Police had discovered a pedophile ring operating out of Washington D.C.-based pizzeria, Comet Ping Pong.
The allegations quickly spread online, often through “fake news” outlets such as InfoWars and The Epoch Times.
An array of legitimate news sources, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Fox News, quickly debunked the rumors.
In June 2020, another spurious claim originating in the so-called QAnon community alleged Wayfair was trafficking young girls under the guise of expensive furniture named after young girls.
The claim was rapidly debunked by sources such as The BBC, AP News, and Rolling Stone.
An in-depth article by The Washington Post has suggested that such conspiratorial claims are not harmless and have actually done harm to real victims.
What is Loca saying about Etsy’s new Pizzagate scandal?
Loca’s video features screen text reading, “Is Etsy selling children online? Wayfair 2.0??”
In it, she calls out “Pizzagate” and extols her viewers to seek out the term on X. She states that she did so herself and “learned some things.”
“On Etsy dot com, I searched the word pizza, and this is what showed up: A ‘painting’ of five little girls that are sad, and it’s $17,750,” she tells her viewers.
Loca also says she searched “hot dog” on the site. She says she discovered another painting by the same artist entitled “Siblings on Playset with Family Dog” for sale for $21,450.
“It’s giving Wayfair 2.0,” she declares, alleging the high price point is akin to the scurrilous accusations against Wayfair’s furniture made several years ago.
Loca points out several other paintings with high price points that she discovered in her search for “hot dog” on Etsy.
She then goes on to display other search criteria in a screenshot. They include “Yummy Yum Pizza,” “Ultra Realistic Silicone Doll,” “Pictures Maya,” and “Girls Assorted Pizza.”
“Listen,” she tells her viewers, “if you don’t get what I’m talking about … just look on Twitter to get more context.”
“You might have d*mn nightmares looking at that sh*t,” she claims.
“Everything I say is alleged and hypothetical,” she admits at the video’s close.
She claims TikTok flagged one of her earlier videos, adding, “C’mon, TikTok, lemme make another 2K or something. I’m talking too godd*mn much.”
@yoursstruly.tia #greenscreen ♬ original sound – ✨ LOCA 💙✨
What were the paintings?
The Daily Dot found the paintings Loca refers to at the beginning of her video.
“Five Beauties” was painted by American Artist Erin McGee Ferrell. According to the Artist American website, her works routinely sell for prices between $600 and $17,000.
Ferrell has many other offerings on Etsy, including “Siblings on Playset with Family Dog.”
Only some of Ferrell’s paintings feature children.
Her works’ prices vary between four to five figures.
According to Saatchi Art, “Erin McGee Ferrell, Contemporary Professional Oil Painter, and Arts in Health Advocate teaches 2D Design at The University of New England. McGee Ferrell is [a] published Researcher and Patient Advocate for the Arizona Cancer Evolution Center, a National Cancer Institute Research Advocate.”
Has anyone debunked this new Pizzagate scandal?
The rumor was quickly debunked.
According to a December 2023 article by USA Today, the new conspiracy may have stemmed from a Facebook post claiming “Etsy is the new Wayfair.”
The post was shared over 400 times.
Etsy told USA Today, “There is no evidence the listings shown had any connection to child trafficking.”
Experts stated the allegation was the “latest iteration of a long-running and baseless conspiracy theory about children being sex trafficked through e-commerce companies.”
“Despite their questionable accuracy and authenticity, the leaks prompted arbitrary associations by conspiracy theorists, who grasped onto various food-related terms, including ‘cheese,’ ‘map,’ ‘walnut sauce’ and, of course, ‘pizza,’ to claim they were actually coded indications of people’s preferred child victims,” Newsweek reported.
Additionally, The Associated Press found the claims to be “False.”
“Etsy investigated the claims and found them baseless, a representative said. No threat to child safety was established, the posts were removed from the online marketplace because they did not appear legitimate and had what seemed to be unreasonably high prices,” it states.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Etsy via email for a statement.
What did viewers say?
Many viewers were determined to believe the conspiracy despite the obvious similarities to other debunked scandals.
Neurodivaaa (@neurodivaaa) commented, “They definitely are because I was on Wayfair one time and I saw a mattress going for $25,000. I was like what the name was Alice… like that’s not suspicious.”
Another viewer added, “Y’all don’t remember when all the celebrities were talking about how good the pizza was at someone’s house?”
Additionally, one viewer insisted, “We know about this. the problem is that no one stops this madness.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Loca via TikTok comment and direct message for further statement.
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