TikTok tests ability for five-minute videos

There are some cases of fake news that are clearer than others. Misinformation or blurring the lines of truth and propaganda is an art form that some TikTok accounts appear to have refined. We take a closer look at two examples concerning the war in Syria.

A 16-year-old girl learned a hand gesture on TikTok to signal for help. Law enforcement says it saved her life. The 16-year-old girl sat beside her alleged kidnapper, looking out the car window at the other people on the road — people who could save her, if they only knew what was happening.

A teenager in the United States was rescued after flashing a hand signal that was popularized on TikTok indicating domestic violence. Experts say sharing such resources on social media can help those most at risk.

The Observers, we caught up with a Syrian migrant who filmed himself crossing the Maritsa river from Turkey to Greece, in order to reach the European Union. He recounts his various trials crossing the river and being confronted by Greek border guards. Then, we go to the United States, where an unprecedented number of people are quitting their jobs, after being fed up with corporate culture and work-life balance during the Covid-19 pandemic. They've shared their #QuitMyJob stories on TikTok.

Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Saturday.⁣

This week on The Observers, we spoke to Cynthia Kå who is using her social media pages to raise awareness of breast cancer among young people. She shares tips on how to prevent, as well as cope, with the disease. Next, we spoke to Murhula Zigabe, an entrepreneur in the Democratic Republic of Congo who is searching for eco-friendly solutions to common problems. He has been raising larvae from black soldier flies to be used as animal feed: an environmental and economical solution to food insecurity.

Nigerian makeup artist-turned Tiktok sensation, Oni Mary, has wowed her audience with her skillful use of makeup to create faces of popular figures in Nigerian history. Her ability to draw life-like images on her chest while facing a mirror has earned her over 7,000 followers with thousands of views for each post.

Malawian musician Giddes Chalamanda had never dreamed in his 92 years that he might one day be famous enough to dine with the president followed by a night in a luxury hotel. Last month the singer did both, thanks to his unlikely new stardom on TikTok, a social media platform beloved of youths four generations removed from him -- one he can't access because he lacks a smartphone or even electricity to charge one.

The video-sharing app TikTok has become a tool in the hybrid war in Ukraine, but fake news and scams connected to the conflict also abound on the platform. We take a closer look in this edition of Truth or Fake.

Nigeria's TikTok content creators are killing it these days! They're among the most enthusiastic users of the Chinese-owned video-sharing platform in Africa. More and more young Africans are signing up and sharing on TikTok, and driving its growth.

In a sign that their content is choreographed and scripted, several Russian TikTok influencers have been spotted reciting the same text related to the war in Ukraine. We take a closer look in this edition of Truth or Fake.