- Andrew Tate, an influencer with a history of misogynistic comments, was banned by TikTok on Friday.
- Despite the ban, numerous fanpages sharing his videos are still active on the platform.
TikTok on Friday banned the influencer Andrew Tate, who has become infamous online for viral video clips with misogynistic commentary and male-centric self-help tips. But the ban didn't address the primary source of Tate-related content on the platform — the network of popular Tate fanpages spreading his clips and garnering millions of views that helped catapult him into ubiquity this year.
A search for "andrewtate" on TikTok brought up at least 20 fan accounts with over 10,000 followers each dedicated to spreading Tate videos. Clips of Tate are still easily viewable on the platform, including those that potentially violate TikTok's policies on hateful content.
Tate's now-defunct official account posted numerous videos, but these often only received a few thousand views.
Meanwhile, the most popular Tate clips on the platform have been uploaded by fan channels like "tateprof" (86,000 followers) and "atate_clips_" (106,000 followers), both of which as of Monday afternoon remain on the platform after Tate's ban. There's also "tates.kingdom," "tateindigo," "luxurylifestyletate," "cobratatedomination," "cobrarole," and numerous other channels that have earned millions of likes sharing videos of Tate.
Tate, a 35-year-old former kickboxer and reality TV show contestant, became a constant presence on social media platforms in recent months as he promoted his misogynist worldview through podcasts and YouTube videos. The hashtag "AndrewTate" has over 13 billion views on the platform, although some of the top videos mock Tate.
A spokesperson for TikTok previously told Insider that its investigation into Tate-related content was "ongoing." TikTok said it was using technology to find duplicate clips of content that breaks the platform's community guidelines, which calls misogyny a "hateful ideology" and prohibits it. Meta on Friday also banned Tate from Facebook and Instagram, where he had over 4 million followers under the handle "cobratate."
Since Tate's ban, TikTok has appeared to take down at least two popular Tate fanpages, "frequency.clips" and "tate_grindset," which Insider previously reported had amassed over 100,000 and 130,000 followers, respectively.
These fan channels often upload short clips featuring Tate dispensing generic wealth and self-motivation tips or talking about women. Despite TikTok banning Tate for misogynistic content, Insider viewed numerous clips uploaded by fan accounts featuring this type of commentary — including Tate saying he wouldn't let a woman drive his car, claiming "female self-defense is bullshit" and stating that women are only capable of screaming and running.
TikTok did not respond to Insider's request for comment about these clips that appear to violate the platform's policy on misogyny and the copycat accounts sharing Tate's videos.
Tate's 'Hustler's University' incentivized others to post his content
Tate has been active on the internet for years, although he skyrocketed several months ago on the back of popular podcast clips and a legion of fans spreading his videos and hypermasculine ideas. Some widely circulated clips feature Tate talking about how he needs authority over women and saying 18-19-year-old women are preferable to 20-somethings because "they've been through less dick."
Many of the fanpages encourage viewers to join Hustlers University, an online wealth advice program Tate created in 2021. Critics have accused the project of being a scam that employs multi-level marketing-like tactics to boost the influencer's visibility, because members earn a cut of money if they refer people using their affiliate link. Members must pay a $49 monthly fee to join.
Tate has sparked backlash many times online in the past. In 2017, he drew derision for saying rape victims must "bear some responsibility" and for tweeting later in the year that depression is not a real thing.
The influencer has been embraced by far-right commentators like the "Pizzagate" conspiracy theorist Mike Cernovich and Infowars host Alex Jones. Alexander Reid Ross, a Portland State University instructor who has researched far-right groups, previously told Insider that Tate's rapid rise may have inspired other fringe figures who want to get in on the "Tate phenomenon" and grow their audiences.
A number of organizations, including women's rights and anti-extremism groups, had in recent weeks called on TikTok to take action against Tate's content. Joe Mulhall, the director of research at anti-extremism organization Hope Not Hate, tweeted on Monday that while TikTok removing Tate's main account was a step in the right direction, it still didn't go far enough.
"Our concern has always been his content posted by others," Mulhall tweeted. "That's why we are still calling for the removal of all Andrew Tate content."