Several people who are blind or have low vision have called on social media giants to embrace stricter guidelines and protections against circulating harmful content.
This comes in the wake of a new trend that gained online popularity.
The viral social media hashtags #BlindChallenge and #BlindKidChallenge prompted users without disability to imitate and mock, members of the blind community for entertainment, viewership and social media engagement, according to Guide Dogs NSW/ACT.
Powerd Media spoke with General Manager of Social Change at Guide Dogs NSW/ACT, Tamara Searant, who said the trend is a step backward for the blind community.
A spokesperson for Guide Dogs NSW/ACT contacted Powerd Media shortly after the initial story was published. The representative says that TikTok responded to the request, claiming in an email to have banned the hashtag #BlindKidChallenge and removed hundreds of videos they deemed to violate their policies. They also said their enforcement action is continuing as they review content in relation to this that they deem might violate their community guidelines.
Image: pexels-mart-production-
Produced By: Emma Myers
Featured In Story: Tamara Searant – General Manager of Social Change at Guide Dogs NSW/ACT, and
First aired on The Wire, Thursday 23 October 2025