Fact-check: Is TikTok offering users sixty days 30 GB free data for its 6th Anniversary? No, it is false.

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TikTok has not announced an offer to its users for two months of free 30 GB data to commemorate its sixth anniversary; the link that is circulating is malicious and does not represent Tik Tok.

Writer Beatrice Amude Paulino

A WhatsApp message being circulated in private chats and groups claiming that TikTok is offering 30GB free to its online customers for a period of 60 days is false.

“Congratulations to all TikTokers; you can now enjoy free 30GB TikTok data to stream for two months (60 days). Click below to check if you are eligible to get the offer,” the claim reads n part.

A screenshot of a WhatsApp message.

The claim did not give any specific way of selecting who would get the free offer. No network provider or news organization within the country has notified the public about this offer. 

The below website claiming the offer is flagged as a phishing site, as indicated by Google Safe Browsing.

‘’The site you are trying to visit has been identified as a forgery, intended to trick you into disclosing financial, personal or other sensitive information.’’

Other sites, including firefox also block access to the page because it a phishing site.

A screenshot of a website that has been censored by Google

What is Tik Tok?

TikTok is a social media app that allows users to create, share and post short videos on any topic of their choice, and it is mainly mobile-based.

It was launched as Douyin by ByteDance in Beijing, China in September 2016, originally under the name A.me. It will turn six years in September 2022.

TikTok has not made any announcement on its official channels about any free data for its sixth anniversary as at the time of this publication.

The tiktok domain was registered on 21 July 1996

The domain for the phishing site was registered on 11 December 2022, just last year

Conclusion:

The claim that Tik Tok is giving away 30 GB of free data to celebrate its six years in service has been proven false by 211 Check. The links going around are not from Tik Tok and are malicious.


This fact check was published by 211 Check with support from Code for Africa’s PesaCheck and the African Fact-Checking Alliance.

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