The Rise and Spread of ‘LabGerm’ Animal Abuse Videos on Social Media

Recently, a disturbing trend has emerged on social media, featuring videos labeled as “LabGerm.” These videos generally begin with gloved hands in front of a white backdrop, accompanied by an AI-generated voice and peppy music. In these clips, fish and other small animals undergo harmful “experiments.”

Although some appear entirely AI-generated, others involve real animals in distress. These videos do not present any findings or conclusions, indicating the shocking content itself is the main attraction.

These clips, originating from Chinese social media platforms, are rapidly spreading across TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. The millions of views demonstrate the reach of these “rage bait” videos. Reaction videos, memes, and even merchandise have emerged around the “LabGerm” topic.

A review by NBC News found numerous videos depicting harm to animals like pleco fish, leeches, and bugs. These appearances began on Douyin, a Chinese social media app, where at least 49 accounts are implicated in spreading content involving pleco fish torture.

TikTok has removed several accounts violating community guidelines, although many similar videos persist across platforms. Despite attempts at regulation, such content persists due to the appeal generated by both interest and outrage.

Nicola O’Brien from the Social Media Animal Cruelty Coalition explained, “We’ve seen content creators using the outrage to draw users back to the original videos.”

This kind of content mirrors older forms of animal abuse videos, previously seen with monkeys, cats, and dogs. These older videos remained on fringe sites, but social media has broadened their reach.

Despite advanced moderation tools and proactive measures, many videos slip past the systems, further complicated by the blending of AI with real footage. Due to the massive scale of modern platforms, managing harmful content remains a challenge.

Platform rules are clear, and users can report violations. For instance, TikTok’s guidelines ban animal cruelty and offer users tools to report such content. However, millions of users create complexities in content moderation.

Meta, another major platform, did not provide comments on this issue. The originators of these videos are largely unidentified, but Douyin and Chinese social media platforms limit access to mainland China, adding another layer of complexity.

Douyin’s parent company, ByteDance, has stated that it opposes videos promoting animal abuse. However, as of May, some objectionable content remained active, indicating the need for further action.

A previously active TikTok account named LabGerm announced a cessation of pleco-related content amid account removal fears. Yet, reposts and new creations by others continue to circulate.

The pleco species, often portrayed in these videos, is not widely cared for, allowing such content to circulate with less backlash compared to familiar animals like dogs or cats.

O’Brien elaborated, “Fish often lack public recognition as creatures capable of suffering, which influences moderation efficacy.”

Peter Li, an expert on animal policy, noted the staying power of these videos, compounded by AI utilization. Despite temporary bans, pleco abuse content adapts, maintaining its presence online.

In comments, viewers sometimes request specific “experiments” on pleco fish, labelled as “volunteers,” emphasizing a troubling trend of growing demand.

China’s absence of a national animal cruelty law complicates efforts to control this content, making prosecution difficult.

Li emphasized, “If these creatures were sympathized with like dogs or cats, such actions would likely decrease significantly.”