Epilepsy Foundation Responds to Videos Posted by TikTok Users Mocking Seizures

TikTok Taking Action to Remove Offensive Videos

Landover, Md. – In late 2019, members of the epilepsy community brought to our attention a few videos posted on the social media platform TikTok that imitated and mocked seizures. The videos were created with a song by rapper Jarad Higgins (Juice Wrld). Following the artist’s death in December 2019, the video trend re-emerged and it has resurfaced again recently.

Epilepsy is a serious medical condition and people with epilepsy may experience hundreds of seizures a day. Videos like these are demeaning and hurtful not only to those living with epilepsy, but also to their families, friends, and healthcare providers who devote their lives to treating epilepsy.

The Epilepsy Foundation reached out to TikTok, who confirmed these videos violate its community guidelines, which focus on TikTok’s mission of inspiring creativity, bringing joy and maintaining a safe community. TikTok has been taking down these offensive videos, and moving forward, the Foundation and TikTok will work together to ensure all of the videos are removed from their platform.

The Epilepsy Foundation is grateful to TikTok for its actions and for collaborating with the Foundation to ensure that people with epilepsy feel and remain safe.

About Epilepsy

According to the World Health Organization, epilepsy is the most common serious brain disorder worldwide with no age, racial, social class, national or geographic boundaries. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) estimates that 3.4 million people in the United States are affected by epilepsy. It is the underlying tendency of the brain to produce seizures which are sudden abnormal bursts of electrical energy that disrupt brain functions.

About the Epilepsy Foundation

With a network of nearly 50 partners throughout the United States, the Epilepsy Foundation is leading the fight to END EPILEPSY^®. The Foundation connects people to treatment, support and resources; leads advocacy efforts; funds innovative research and the training of specialists; and educates the public about epilepsy and seizure first aid. For more than five decades, the Epilepsy Foundation has shone a light on epilepsy to promote awareness and understanding, and to advocate for laws that matter to people with epilepsy, while also funding $68.7 million for epilepsy research and supporting 3,091 epilepsy investigators and specialists in their early careers. To learn more visit epilepsy.com or call 1.800.332.1000. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.