Bird Flu, Pandemics, and Hyping The Population

The Grotesque Bird Flu Scam and How to Actually Treat Colds and Flus

How the cruelty and mismanagement we are seeing with avian influenza is directly reflected within the practice of medicine

Story at a Glance:

•A massive industry exists to protect us from pandemics. Unfortunately, this industry is largely a grift which receives billions for failed cures, routinely suppresses competing therapies that could end pandemics and frequently causes the pandemics it is supposed to prevent.

•This industry routinely engages in cruel and completely unnecessary animal experimentation (which often then shapes the mentality of modern medical practices). Because of this, one group has recently been able to shift this longstanding cruelty by connecting it to the immensely wasteful spending which often accompanies that research.

•The current “war against bird flu” embodies many of the major problems in the pandemic prevention industry, as over the last few years, we’ve spent billions of dollars killing over a hundred million birds, but all this has accomplished is significantly raising the price of eggs.

•While viruses are typically treated as being “incurable” by modern medicine, many highly effective, frequently over the counter, and unpatentable treatments exist for viral illnesses that have been used for over a century (including for some of the most severe and “incurable” ones). This article will review those therapies and how they can both be used for severe illnesses and to rapidly eliminate common viral conditions (e.g., flus and colds).

In late 2019, I predicted that COVID-19 would turn into a disaster. I told many of my colleagues, who all thought I was crazy and simultaneously were confused by these remarks as I was typically the dissenting voice against getting worked up over the annual “pandemic.” While many things at work by late 2019 suggested this could happen, the primary reason I was willing to put my reputation on the line to claim this was due to the media coverage surrounding the pandemic.

Specifically, it’s a longstanding tradition for both the media and federal health apparatus to massively hype up each potential “pandemic,” but in the case of COVID (called Sars-Cov-2 at the time), the exact opposite happened. There was a consistent push to downplay it (e.g., “it’s just a flu bro” flooded the internet at that time) to the point many of my colleagues who typically got the most up in arms about (minor) infectious diseases laughed me off when I suggested COVID was something to be concerned about.

All of this was a red flag to me as I initially could not believe the pandemic industrial complex would be silent when the pandemic they had been waiting decades for finally arrived. Then, once it became very clear (from reports circulating on the internet in Dec 2019) that COVID was very different and actually had a high likelihood of causing a true pandemic, I inferred that only two things could explain why it was being suppressed—either it was known that it would turn into a huge problem and health authorities wanted time to prepare for it before the public panicked, or they wanted it to spread under the radar as much as possible so it could turn into an actual global disaster.

In my eyes, there are four central reasons why pandemics are always hyped up:

•They give federal agencies (e.g., the CDC) a way to justify their necessity and get Congressional funding (which is most likely the primary motivation).

•The ideal content for the media are things that emotionally agitate and hook viewers but do not challenge any vested interests that do not want to be exposed (e.g., major media advertisers like the pharmaceutical industry). Fear-mongering about the next pandemic hence is an excellent way to sustain those companies.

•A multibillion-dollar industry has been created around pandemic preparedness (e.g., lots of virology research and making vaccines) that succeeds because it has no accountability for abjectly failing to prevent pandemics. In turn, hyping up pandemics is vital for this industry.

•Tackling many of the real health issues facing our country requires confronting the vested interests responsible for those issues existing (e.g., pharmaceutical companies) and addressing the underlying causes of chronic illnesses in the country—all of which is a lot of work and gets a lot of pushback. In contrast, having an aggressive and drastic top-down response to an infectious disease takes relatively little effort to do and allows the government to present the facade of safeguarding our health.

As such, we will constantly see “pandemics” that are hyped up by the media and typically are accompanied by mass slaughtering of livestock along with a variety of aggressive sales pitches for that year’s vaccine and in certain years, Tamiflu as well. Inevitably however, in one way or another, the whole thing ends up being a scam (e.g., the pandemic never materializes or the therapies for it don’t really work).

Note: as I show here, Tamiflu is a scam, as despite governments having spent billions stockpiling it, there is no evidence it works (but significant evidence it frequently has side effects).

The Forgotten Side of Medicine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. To see how others have benefitted from this newsletter, click here!

The Biodefense Industry

To read the rest of the article, go to:    https://www.midwesterndoctor.com/p/the-grotesque-bird-flu-scam-and-how?publication_id=748806&post_id=157417609&isFreemail=true&r=19iztd&triedRedirect=true&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

Big Winners – Health Insurance Companies

Startling Revelation: Health Insurance Companies Make 400% More than Big Pharma

Medical industry expert Brigham Buhler says that the ‘big five’ insurance companies make over 400% more in revenue than pharmaceutical companies! The average American is on four or more prescription drugs that only treat symptoms. Medicare/ Medicaid spends $500 billion per year on pharmaceutical drugs, and when all government programs are combined, the US government spends $1 trillion on drugs and products.

Determining the root cause of disease and preventative care are ignored. 1.7 million Americans die per year from chronic disease. Most chronic disease is preventable.

Insurance companies tell doctors what, when, where, how and what they are allowed to do for patients.

Buhler explained that the cycle of corruption and profit includes the NIH, FDA, the drug manufacturers and insurance companies. Pharmacy benefit managers were brought in to drive down the price of drugs, but they were captured by the big five insurance companies that turned the savings into a profit center for the companies. The insurance companies buy up large supplies of drugs and then they profit by 30% on the sale of the drugs.

Incentives drive the pricing of drugs and insurance companies make only high profit margins drugs accessible for patients.

Out of 365 ‘blockbuster’ drugs that hit the market form 2010 to 2019, zero were created by Big Pharma; instead, 100% of those drugs originated at the National Institute of Health (NIH) that is funded by American taxpayers. Once the compounds have a certain potential, they are sold off to Big Pharma that sells them to the American public that funded the products.

from:    https://needtoknow.news/2025/02/startling-revelation-health-insurance-companies-make-400-more-than-big-pharma/

Technocracy Here, Technocracy There

Technocracy Rising: All The President’s Men

Patrick Wood of Technocracy.news wrote an article using artificial intelligence for a report on people who were appointed in 2025 by Trump and are considered technocrats. The shared objectives of the technocrats are AI supremacy, cryptocurrency normalization and federal privatization. The AI program concluded, “As these technocrats consolidate power, the long-term implications for regulatory integrity and public trust in governance remain deeply uncertain.”

.

The article is behind a paywall , but the audio version may be accessed here. Patrick Wood wrote this article using Perplexity.ai using a feature called Deep Research. It scoured hundreds of sources to analyze his prompt to list all of the people from the tech sector who are considered technocrats and were appointed by Trump in 2025. This included members of the ‘PayPal Mafia’ that is a group of former PayPal employees and founders who have since founded and/or developed additional technology companies based in Silicon Valley, such as Tesla, Inc., LinkedIn, Palantir Technologies, SpaceX, Affirm, Slide, Kiva, YouTube, Yelp, and Yammer.

AI reported that that the shared objectives of the technocrats are AI supremacy, cryptocurrency normalization and federal privatization. The Silicon Valley technocrats in advisory positions share a vision centered on deregulation, technological dominance and the restructuring of federal institutions to align with Libertarian-leaning tech industry priorities.

AI listed the following names of tech advocates surrounding Trump: Michael Kratsios, David Sacks, Sriram Krishnan, Bo Hines, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, Peter Thiel (who mentored VP JD Vance), Mark Andreessen, Joe Lonsdale, Ken Howery, Luke Nosek, Blake Masters, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Scott Bessent, Howard Lutnick, Emil Michael, Russell Vaught and Brendan Kerr.

The AI program concluded, “As these technocrats consolidate power, the long-term implications for regulatory integrity and public trust in governance remain deeply uncertain.”

Click here for audio link

from:    https://needtoknow.news/2025/02/technocracy-rising-all-the-presidents-men/?__cf_chl_tk=WaDrivj8HaxtXD.ztbb5iUOVM2hJUw1ibbAIJmhhclY-1740424229-1.0.1.1-qk0QQLKoZyJJZ6JqrlQI.wz8V54bCl3ehr9KOOVxoGY

The Travelers’ Diary – February 24, 2025

At this time, much has been completed, yet there remains much to do.  It is like blocks in a wall.  The foundation must be set before the rest of the building can be completed.  What has happened before is that the building was started, yet there was no adherence to the map, to the building plans, and as a result, things were set on sandy soil which could not support or sustain – and that is a big word now – the structure.  This is not a time for getting upset or giving in to what might seem like a hopeless situation because it is just the middle of the thing, and as time goes on, more and more will become clear as the structure reveals itself.

There is much in your government that is in flux, even more than flux, it is in a state of falling apart, yet that cannot be seen because so much bureaucracy and “non-bureaucracy” is being heaped on top to it, so it seems that this is jus a beginning phase when in reality it is a transition phase.

This is to a time to hold fast to certain leaders and people at the front of the camera.  They will be leaving soon. They are mere figureheads and are playing a role for their own ends and that of the overlords.  We hesitate to use that word, and it is not a word that we have used before or often because it was premature, but now it is becoming current.  This is because those overlords will be outed, not due to any planning on their part, but rather because they have been trying so hard in the past to remain invisible, but they are becoming cocky and have chosen individuals to represent them who are not reliable – not necessarily because of loose lips, but ore because they lack the intellectual acumen to take their parts at this time.  The reliance on AI comes about largely because the overlords had seen this breakdown coming, but they did not realize ti would be so soon.  Expect to see more and ore glitches in what people  who are supposed to be leaders do and say.  These kinds of things can no longer be covered over by your corrupt and captured media.  It is funny, but many are like those newscasters in THEY LIVE, people who are dying to present the face of humanity, when, in truth, they are not really human at all!

Traveler’s Diary 1/19/25

January 19,2025

Greetings.  There is a new energy in all that is going on, and we are to you something of a new energy, but nonetheless, we know you well.  So hearken to out words

There is change in the atmosphere, and that change encompasses the totality of the Universe.  It is not caused by any one thing, one person, one cabal, what have you, but rather the change is part of a general movement n the totality.  You see, as many have predicted, there is a shift to a new dimension, a new element, a new (reality- ?), a movement of the 3d from the 5d.  The shift is being made and has been made by many already, and many are not yet aware that they have done this shifting, moreover they are not aware of their place in the whole thing.  Trying to hold onto the old will not be of benefit to anyone for the old is like a rock, like an anchor that will hold them down in the 3d when they do have the potential to move on

Know this, everyone has to the potential to make the shift, but not everyone will do this.  They cannot for their lives are so rooted in the here and now in the possibilities of this world and in the links and banners they have created in that energy. …

  There is this shift, and the love of one for another can only take them so far for as the planet of free will, their choices are what they are and you cannot change them, nor do you have the right —- yes, the right —- to force them into your way of thinking.  That is not within the realms of what is best for their souls and their development also. 

Yes for what is a choice today for some can in the future be overridden by another choice. As circumstances change, so often do choices and opinions change.  The best to do in these circumstances is to stop within your own power and your own way and let them act out their trajectory.

We see a grey cloud encompassing much of your planet and that is a battle in the skies — perhaps in your weather which would be part of the usual circumstances you are dealing with, and you know, the planet, the goddess, Gaia, can only deal with the evil of those of the cabal to a certain point.  At which time she needs to let them know that ultimately she is in charge. Watch for weather patterns to hit and watch for there is be much unexplained phenomena in the air. 

Things are in a place of falling apart right now, as old systems show their true value and the evil that is being perpetrated on the planet, even on the galaxy, is being torn apart by a wave of light.  The light warriors are on the rise and the dark ones will be torn down.  It is happening; .  Be aware.

With what you eat — stay away from processed foods and eating out at places that cannot guarantee quality. 

DO NOT FALL INTO DESPAIR. 

Trust the light; walk in steps of light and stay connected to the higher good.

Thank you.

Ah, Brave New World

My bad memory: I omitted 2 panels from our New World Order graphic

David Schonbrunn took my list of issues and organized them in the most useful way, making what is being done to us and what must be fixed, so much clearer

Thank you, David! Let’s use this scorecard as a measure of success (and what else needs to be accomplished) as we turn all these anti-human policies around, say Goodbye to Globalism and Hello to Individual Liberties and the Rule of Law.

from:    https://merylnass.substack.com/p/my-bad-memory-i-omitted-2-panels?publication_id=746368&post_id=155303528&isFreemail=true&r=19iztd&triedRedirect=true&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

Virus Shedding and The effects

What We’ve Learned from a Year of Vaccine Shedding Data

Numerous data sources now corroborate that the COVID vaccines shed in a consistent and replicable manner

Story at a Glance:

•After the COVID-19 vaccines hit the market, stories began emerging of unvaccinated individuals becoming ill after being in proximity to recently vaccinated individuals. This confused many, as the mRNA technology in theory should not be able to “shed.”

•After seeing countless patient cases which can only be explained by COVID vaccine shedding, a year ago, I initiated multiple widely seen calls for individuals to share suspected shedding experiences.

From those 1,500 reports, clear and replicable patterns have emerged which collectively prove “shedding” is a real and predictable phenomenon that can be explained by known mechanisms unique to the mRNA technology.

•Likewise, after being blocked from publication for over a year, recently, a scientific study corroborating the shedding phenomenon was finally published.

•This article will map out everything that is known about shedding (e.g., what are the common symptoms, how does it happen, who does it affect, does it occur through sexual contact, can it cause severe issues like cancer) along with strategies for preventing it.

When doctors in this movement speak at events about vaccines, by far the most common question they receive is, “Is vaccine shedding real?”

This is understandable as COVID-19 vaccine shedding (becoming ill from vaccinated individuals) represents the one way the unvaccinated are also at risk from the vaccines and hence still need to be directly concerned about them.

Simultaneously, it’s a challenging topic as:

•We believe it is critical to not publicly espouse divisive ideas (e.g., “PureBloods” vs. those who were vaccinated) that prevent the public from coming together and helping everyone. The vaccines were marketed on the basis of division (e.g., by encouraging immense discrimination against the unvaccinated), and many unvaccinated individuals thus understandably hold a lot of resentment for how the vaccinated treated them. We do not want to perpetuate anything similar (e.g., discrimination in the other direction).

•We don’t want to create any more unnecessary fear—which is an inevitable consequence of opening up a conversation about shedding.

•In theory, shedding with the mRNA vaccines should be “impossible,” so claiming otherwise puts one on very shaky ground.

Conversely, if shedding is real, we believe it is critical to expose as:

•Those being affected by it are in a horrible situation, particularly if everyone is gaslighting them about it and insisting it’s all in their head.

•It provides one of the strongest arguments to pull the mRNA vaccines from the market and prohibit the widespread deployment of mRNA technologies in the future.

For those reasons, Pierre Kory and I have spent the last year and a half trying to collect as much evidence as possible to map out this phenomenon with the following data sets:

•Dozens of extremely compelling patient histories1,2,3 from Kory and Marsland’s medical practice, including many responding to spike protein treatment.
•My own experience with patients and friends affected by shedding.
• I read large numbers of reports of shedding in (now deleted) online support groups.
•Roughly 1,500 reports from individuals affected by shedding we were able to collect.
•Extensive menstrual data compiled by MyCycleStory.

From that and the hundreds of hours of work that went into it (particularly reviewing and sorting the 1,500 reports), we can state the following with relative certainty:

1. Shedding is very real (e.g., each of those datasets is congruent with the others), and many of the stories of those affected by it are very sad.
2. People’s sensitivity to it dramatically varies.
3. Most of the people who are sensitive to shedding have already figured it out.
4. Mechanistically, shedding is very difficult to explain. However, now that new evidence has emerged, a much stronger case can be made for the mechanisms I initially proposed a year ago.

Note: if you have a shedding experience you would like to share (or wish to read through them), please do so here, where they are compiled.

Shedding Overview:

By far, the most common symptom of shedding is unusual and disrupted menstrual bleeding (which is also the most common COVID vaccine injury). This in turn, was the first thing that alerted me to the inconceivable possibility the vaccines could shed, as I quickly received many similar reports of highly unusual menstrual bleeding, which appeared to be due to exposure to someone who was vaccinated.

After this, the most common symptoms were headaches, flu-like illnesses, nosebleeds, fatigue, rashes, tinnitus, sinus or nasal issues, and shingles. Other less frequent symptoms are also repeatedly seen (e.g., palpitations, herpes outbreaks, and hair loss).

Additionally, many noticed they could immediately tell when they were in the vicinity of a shedder, typically either due to noticing a unique odor or symptoms immediately onsetting.

Generally speaking, the character of shedding symptoms were quite similar to long COVID and vaccine injuries, but typically were more superficial in nature, suggesting the body was reacting to a harmful external pathogenic factor rather than one already deep inside the body. More severe issues (e.g., cancers or heart attacks) also occurred, but these were much rarer than what you saw in the vaccine injured population, again suggesting shedding was primarily an external reaction. Interestingly, most of the (fairly varied) shedding symptoms overlap with the conditions DMSO treats (e.g., strokes), suggesting that DMSO’s key mechanisms of action (e.g., increasing blood flow, eliminating large and small blood clots, being highly anti-inflammatory, and rescuing cells from the cell danger response) are the exact opposite of what shedding does to the body.

Note: in the following sections, each superscript citation links to individual reports I’ve received about the phenomenon. I provided these citations to show how frequent many of these effects were, so that those who’d experienced them could see many others had too, and so that anyone who wants to research this has access to the primary data. The only shedding symptom I avoided comprehensively citing was abnormal menstruation, as so many reports were received, it was not feasible to compile all of them.

Shedding Patterns

In the same manner that there is a fairly high replicability in the symptoms individuals who are affected by shedding experience, there is also a fairly high congruency in the patterns of how they are affected. Specifically:

1. Some individuals are hypersensitive to shedders and can immediately detect when they are in the presence of a shedder or are on their way to developing harmful symptoms.

2. Others are less sensitive, but quickly notice specific characteristic symptoms consistently occur following shedding exposures (e.g., always feeling ill when a vaccinated husband returns from a long trip away, when going to church each week, when singing with their choir, or when taking a crowded route to work).

In some cases, they are able to identify a “super shedder” (amongst a group) who consistently made them ill, and in many cases they can identify the exact shedding incident that made them ill. Likewise, through tracking serial spike protein antibody levels (e.g., for patients undergoing treatment for long Covid or a vaccine injury) we’ve objectively corroborated that shedding exposures repeatedly worsen these patients (providing an explanation for why their symptoms “inexplicably” ebb and flow), that this can be seen objectively in their lab work and that spike protein treatments after shedding exposures clinically improve these patients.

Note: Pierre Kory’s practice has been able to determine that those they suspect are a shedder (e.g., a husband) test positive (through an antibody test) for a high spike protein levels and that eliminating the shedder from the patient’s life or treating the (asymptomatic) shedder with a vaccine injury protocol frequently significantly improves their patient’s recovery. Likewise, readers here have reported significant improvements from avoiding shedders—which sadly in some cases has required the more sensitive individuals to isolate themselves from society.

3. In the majority of cases, the effects of shedding are temporary and go away, but in a subset of people, they can last for months if not years.

4. Recognition of the shedding phenomenon has forced many to significantly change their lives. This included regretfully terminating a long-term romantic relationship, leaving their line of work (e.g., some massage therapists can no longer handle working on vaccinated clients), or only seeing unvaccinated healthcare providers (e.g., numerous people reported getting ill from vaccinated chiropractors or massage therapists, and we now periodically will have patients state they can only see us if we are unvaccinated).

5. The “stronger” the shedding exposure, the more likely shedding is to cause issues, but conversely, for more sensitive patients, “weaker” exposures also will. More substantial exposures include being around someone who was recently vaccinated or boosted (as shedding is strongest initially), being around more shedders, being in a confined space (e.g., a car) with a shedder for a prolonged period, or having close physical contact with a shedder.
Note: given all of this, I thought flying on airlines would be a significant issue, but I have only received two reports from readers where this was the case.

6. There appear to be some unexplained symptoms otherwise healthy patients now experience that are tied to shedding. However, it’s still often very challenging to tease out when shedding is the culprit due to how many variables are involved and the ambiguity of the subject (which is part of why so much detail has gone into this post so each of you can figure out if you are being affected by shedding).

Susceptibility to Shedding

In general, there are three categories of people who are susceptible to shedding (and in many cases these categories overlap).

The first are the sensitive patients (e.g., those who frequently react to chemicals or get injured by pharmaceuticals). For example, near the start of the vaccine rollout (before I was aware that shedding was an issue), I saw this video and genuinely wondered if it was real as many of its claims were quite extraordinary but at the same time, were somewhat in line with what a highly sensitive patient (of whom I know many) would describe.

To read the rest of the article, go to:

https://www.midwesterndoctor.com/p/what-weve-learned-from-a-year-of?publication_id=748806&post_id=154372114&isFreemail=true&r=19iztd&triedRedirect=true&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

AIPAC?

Bernie Sanders: AIPAC Controls Congress, Not Voters

Chris Menahan
InformationLiberation


Senators who privately oppose Israel’s brutal war on Gaza will vote to advance Israel’s interests over the will of their constituents because they know that AIPAC will destroy their political careers if they do otherwise, according to Senator Bernie Sanders.
In an interview last month that’s only now going viral, Sanders (D-VA) told Jon Stewart that fear of having one’s political career destroyed by the Israel Lobby is “the root of everything” when it comes to the will of the public not being reflected by our representatives — only to catch himself and walk it back.

 


“I introduced legislation that would stop arms sales to Netanyahu,” Sanders said. “We got 19 votes, which observers thought was very significant.”

“A significant majority of people who consider themselves Democrats agree with us — I got 19 votes, OK?” he continued. “The American people do not believe that we should be supporting a government that is starving children right now as we speak. But if you stand up, you’re going to find that AIPAC and other billionaire-funded Super PACs are going to go to war against you, putting huge amounts of money in a primary in your general election.”

“So it’s not a question of not understanding,” Sanders said. “There are many members of the Senate who will come to you privately and say, my God, what Netanyahu is doing is outrageous. I just can’t vote, because money is going to come and destroy my political career. So you’ve got to get at the root of everything– not of everything — but a key part of this whole discussion.”

You were right the first time, Bernie. Every member of Congress having an “AIPAC babysitter” is the issue and the fact most of “our” representatives put the interests of a foreign power over America is criminal and that is at the “root” of everything.

 


As Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) said in 2023, AIPAC should not have “the right” to “interfere in an American election on behalf of a foreign country.”

 


Massie is the only one with the balls to say this and that’s why the Israel Lobby is dumping money into smearing him and having their paid assets attack him all day.

Stop beating around the bush, stop equivocating, stop blaming this all on “Netanyahu” and tell the American people the truth!

 

from:    https://www.informationliberation.com/?id=64805

 

 

 

Keeping the Zionists Happy

Is the TikTok Ban about China — Or Is It Really About Gaza?

Politicians claim that they want to ban TikTok because it is a Chinese company that may manipulate or gather data on American users, but the law undercuts the free speech of the 170 million Americans who use it.

The Jewish Daily Forward reported that the government authorities leading the charge against TikTok, like Marco Rubio, Mike Gallagher and Mitt Romney, have stated that anti-Israel videos are a reason to ban TikTok. The Forward revealed that TikTok users were still seeing the pro-Israel videos proportionately more, indicating, if any bias, one toward pro-Israel content.

Candace Owens said that TikTok is being banned on behalf of Israel that controls the US government through aggressive lobbying.

Jonathan Greenblatt, the head of the ADL, was featured in a leaked phone call about criticism of Israel and was recorded saying, “we have a major, major, major generational problem.” He added, “…we really have a TikTok problem, the Gen Z problem.”

.In November 2023, Jonathan Greenblatt, the head of the Jewish Anti-Defamation League (ADL), was featured in a leaked phone call about Israel’s war on Gaza and was recorded saying, “we have a major, major, major generational problem.” Greenblatt added, “…and so we really have a TikTok problem, the Gen Z problem.” He urged directing energy toward the younger generation and said, “the useful idiots in the West are falling in line in ways that are terrifying.”

Greenblatt’s leaked phone call:

Link for video

https://www.bitchute.com/video/SzsQVWJo6PhK

Candace showed a clip of Amihay Chikli, the Minister for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Anti-Semitism, boasting that they were able to curb Americans’ free speech on college campuses and on TikTok.

Link for video

Is the TikTok ban about China — or is it really about Gaza?

The Supreme Court is set to rule this week on whether or not to ban TikTok, the short-form video app. Those promoting the ban say it poses a national security threat and could allow the Chinese government to mine Americans’ data; ByteDance, which owns the app, is a Chinese company.

But many users on the platform think that’s a coverup. The real reason to ban TikTok, they say, is to suppress news about Gaza.

The consequences of a ban for TikTok users could be far-reaching — entire economic ecosystems have developed and influencers have built livelihoods on the platform. But most importantly, for many TikTokers, the app is their primary source of news. Particularly news they believe more mainstream media sources are hiding.

“Fascist countries ban apps and websites under the guise of threats to national security, when every other country knows it’s about suppressing the free speech of its citizens,” said one popular TikToker in a viral video about the ban, calling the app “the most popular news and media outlet that the government cannot control.”

Since Oct. 7, commentators and Jewish figures such as Sascha Baron Cohen have noted a strong bent toward pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli content on the platform; some lawmakers accused the app of purposefully biasing its algorithm to favor pro-Palestinian content as part of an anti-Israel agenda.

TikTok repeatedly denied endorsing an anti-Israel agenda, meeting with Jewish influencers, celebrities and organizations including the Anti-Defamation League to reassure them that the platform was not biased. The company pointed out that videos with the hashtag #standwithIsrael received more views than those tagged #freepalestine; though there are more of the latter, users were still seeing the pro-Israel videos proportionately more, indicating, if any bias, one toward pro-Israel content.

And analysts pointed out that support for the Palestinian cause, even before Oct. 7, was growing among the younger generations who make up the vast majority of TikTok’s user base —  they argued that the app’s videos supporting Palestinians or criticizing Israel were likely an accurate reflection of the beliefs shared by the majority of users using the platform.

Nevertheless, even as early as fall 2023, largely Republican lawmakers referenced TikTok’s anti-Israel videos as a reason to ban TikTok in the U.S. “TikTok is a tool China uses to spread propaganda to Americans, now it’s being used to downplay Hamas terrorism,” wrote Sen. Marco Rubio on X in November 2023. (Rubio is now under consideration for Secretary of State in the Trump administration.)

Former house representative from Wisconsin, Mike Gallagher, wrote an article arguing that the app was “brainwashing our youth against the country and our allies” with “rampant pro-Hamas propaganda.”

And Mitt Romney drew a direct line between his support for the ban and pro-Palestinian content on TikTok. “Some wonder why there was such overwhelming support for us to shut down potentially TikTok or other entities of that nature,” he said at a forum in May, going on to allege that “the number of mentions of Palestinians” is far higher on TikTok “relative to other social media sites.”

But that’s not true; nearly every social media platform tilted toward “Free Palestine” content in the wake of Oct. 7. A study from The Washington Post in November 2023 found a similar proportion of pro-Palestine posts on Facebook and Instagram, yet no one is trying to ban Meta.