The phrase “cute winter boots” has been popping up throughout social media platforms such as TikTok, but what does it mean? Cute winter boots have nothing to do with fashion, it’s a political phrase creators have been using to avoid shadow banning on the platform.
The term “cute winter boots” popped up in an attempt to avoid shadowbanning. Shadowbanning is the act of blocking a user from a social media site or online forum without their knowledge, typically by making their posts and comments no longer visible to other users. This pushes their content below others and makes it hard to find.
The process of TikTok shadowbanning information isn’t a new occurrence, but it’s been happening more recently with anti-Trump media. Leaked documents obtained by The Guardian revealed that media mentioning Donald Trump was down-ranked by TikTok’s algorithm and was not showing up on users’ feeds. With the phrase “cute winter boots,” creators communicate about protests or issues concerning the government to bypass these restrictions. According to Rolling Stone magazine, around 37,000 TikTok videos have used this hashtag to push forward their information without the threat of shadowbanning.
These TikToks criticize Trump and provide information about his actions and their implications to those who are less aware of them. The first of these TikToks spoke about Trump’s new immigrant policies and executive orders. They warned of where ICE raids might be or where ICE was spotted, then shared information about marches or protests that were to happen in the coming days. All this happened within days of Trump bringing back TikTok after its ban, which caused people to worry that this would mean an allegiance of the app with Trump, leading to censorship of content and the birth of coded phrases like “cute winter boots”.
The use of fashion has always had political ties, as it was a way to express your views even if you can’t speak about it. Using the term “cute winter boots” ties into how fashion relates to current political developments.
Another term popping up in recent TikTok hashtags is “Globaltok” or “Worldtok,” which is used by other people, mostly out of the US, informing Americans about what they’ve been hearing, including information that is censored from the American public. Under these hashtags are videos of people showing concern for the US, which otherwise would not have been known due to possible shadow-banning by TikTok.
In recent years, social media has become a key way to share one’s personal views and find others that align with you, so when a platform tries to block that, it’s violating basic human rights. Creating codes and ways around these blocks or bans shouldn’t have to happen, but it’s sadly a reality for America in recent months.
These limitations of individual liberties are not only demonstrated onTikTok, but are occuring on other sources of media as well. The Pentagon has made moves to swap The Washington Post, CNN, The Hill, and The War Zone workspaces for more pro-Trump news outlets. Trump has also blocked certain reporters from entering the Oval Office, investigated news companies that have spoken negatively about him, and sued certain news agencies in an attempt to block freedom of the press and the spread of negative words about him.
Providing visibility to these issues, like TikTok videos have been doing, is an essential part of staying an educated American citizen. Whether you agree with it or not, you should still be informed. TikTok shouldn’t be shadow-banning videos that speak out against Trump or publicize protests. Not only do Trump’s actions show what his intentions are, but they pose the question of what may happen to us if we let this continue, how these bans suppress the freedom of speech, and the continuation of our freedoms as American citizens.
