It’s not a fake account. They haven’t been hacked. And, no, there isn’t a Paralympic Games happening.
The official Paralympics TikTok account is, however, going viral, with people online accusing the account of being “insensitive” and “mocking” disabled athletes.
The videos, which have millions of views, have been called “evil”, “vile” and “disgusting” – and they've provoked such a strong reaction that other users are creating their own videos condemning the content.
Across social media, others have expressed confusion and dismay.
"I can't help but feel this entire account is making fun of these incredible athletes. Many of us would love to hear their stories," said a popular internet personality in one comments section.
What's going on with the Paralympics TikTok?
The account, which has over 3.4 million followers, posts short videos of para-athletes competing and preparing for the Games.
Some videos explain aspects of the sport and show memorable wins. But most recently, the videos have also been dubbed with popular social media sounds or songs. Some clips feature para-athletes crashing and falling.
In one video, with the caption "blind swimmers being bopped", the audio of the electronic game "Bop It!" plays over a video of vision-impaired swimmers as they get tapped on the head with a foam ball on a pole. The account admin explains in the comments that this is how swimmers are told they are close to the wall. "A bop on the head".
Another video features Australian cyclist Darren Hicks – who had his right leg amputated after a road accident – winning gold at the Tokyo Paralympic Games.
In the video of Hicks, a song that usually says the words "left, right, left, right" has been edited to say "left... left...left" over the video. The admin said in the comments that they made a slight edit to the song that "you'll hardly notice".
Despite the amplifying backlash, there's also an array of positive comments left underneath the videos thanking the admin for the laughs.
And between the mixed feedback, the admin will often reply to questions and add details about the parasport and the athletes featured.
Who runs the Paralympics TikTok account?
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) told The Feed that the account is run by "a Paralympian who fully understands disability" who has "created a strong following through edgy and unique content".
"We appreciate that not everyone will like the content and sometimes we don’t get it right, but we do closely monitor posts, always converse in reactions to them, and learn from all feedback," the statement said.
The IPC also said its TikTok content has also helped it connect with and grow a younger audience.
Ellie Cole: 'Able-bodied people making decisions on where the line is'
Australian Paralympic legend Ellie Cole, who won 17 medals across four Paralympic Games, told The Feed the videos have provoked some interesting discussion about "where the line" is when speaking about disability in sport.
"I found that a lot of people who are able-bodied and haven't actually had that much experience of disability, let alone lived experience of disability, like making the decision on where that line is," the para swimmer, who retired after the Tokyo Games, said.
"And I think that's where people with disabilities are starting to get a little bit funny about it."
Cole said a lot of the videos featuring athletes crashing or falling are standard "sporting fails". What would normally be laughed at is now seen as out of line because the person has a disability, she said.
"There comes a time where you have to really look at what's in front of you and say, 'would this be funny if it was a regular, able-bodied person?'"
"And if the answer is 'yes', then maybe let your guard down a little bit and feel okay to laugh at those things. It's not like we're laughing at somebody because their legs have fallen off or someone who's struggling with a disability."
I found that a lot of people who are able-bodied and haven't actually had that much experience of disability, let alone lived experience of disability, like making the decision on where that line is.Ellie Cole, 17-time Paralympics medallist
Ultimately, she said the division in opinion has been a good way to challenge some of the assumptions made about disability.
"I would just highly encourage everybody to ask questions ... but a lot of people aren't asking, they're just commenting."
The viral videos have also brought attention to para sport during a time when coverage quietens down between the Games, said Paralympics Australia Chef de Mission for Paris 2024 Kate McLoughlin.
"If you look at the IPC, they have a huge proportion of staff members who have a disability ... this has been done by an organisation that genuinely understands disability, genuinely wants to drive social inclusion and change people's perceptions."
Ms McLoughlin said the response has been largely positive in the Paralympian community but, like able-bodied athletes, you can’t expect everyone to have the same reaction.
"Every single person has a different experience of disability," she said.
