Jokes aside, this is and continues to be a problem. Many influencers are desperate to go viral and feature other users’ work without giving them credibility. This isn’t a recent phenomenon, but with the rise of TikTok, it’s becoming rampant.
This also leads to cultural appropriation. Influencers fail to give credit to the culture the recipe originated from, instead presenting it as something new. The “healthy lentil wrap” hack has been all the rage this year, but user @Simply Suha calls it a South Asian staple: dosa.
In her video, she says she doesn’t like the fact that it’s now marketed as a health food. There was also a viral video (via Refinery29).
Unfortunately, digital content laws are lagging behind, so TikTok recipes and dances cannot be copyrighted. Only certain things are protected (via Vox), such as music and movies. The Internet is still in the Old West, and social media users must protect each other from thieves. As we enter the new year, let’s hold creators accountable.
