TikTok media are gaining subscribers from French riots

Police officers take position during riots following the death of Nahel, a 17-year-old teenager killed by a French police officer in Nanterre during a traffic stop, at Champs Elysees in Paris, France, July 1, 2023. — Reuters

Video footage of the riots in France were hugely popular on social media last week as unrest spread throughout the country, leading French President Emmanuel Macron to blame TikTok, Snapchat and other apps for fueling violence.

The live coverage of the riots on TikTok was especially viral, says Guillaume Lacroix, the chief executive officer of Brut, a youth-focused media company that distributes its content primarily via social networks. Brut gained 700,000 TikTok subscribers, bringing its total to 5.3 million, and quadrupled its weekly number of views, Lacroix said.