With the war in Ukraine worsening day-by-day, social media has become an outlet for spreading first-hand news of the conflict and its severity.

However, while many Ukrainians have taken to platforms such as TikTok to share credible footage of the war and their experience, it doesn’t guarantee that all information posted is accurate.

TikTok videos with gunfire or ambulance sirens in the background, claiming to take place in Ukraine, have been gaining traction.

One account posted a video claiming to be from the conflict, but it was later revealed to be from an explosion in Beirut in 2020. By that time, it had gained six million views.

This not only highlights the ignorance of people using this tragedy for their own gain but also the harm a “TikTok war” can bring, especially considering how recent the news is.

Ukrainians, however, have taken to social media to stress the seriousness of the conflict.

“I want people to understand this is not a joke, this is a serious situation that Ukrainians face,” Marta Vasyuta, a Ukrainian TikTok user, told Reuters.

With the war still ongoing, it is already difficult to gather the facts, especially with multiple news publications reporting on it.

Spreading misinformation can promote a false image of the conflict’s advancement and frustrate those directly impacted by it or those with family members in the country.

For now, everyone cannot rely solely on social media posts for up-to-date information and must be wary of unverifiable information.