Woman was secretly filmed in TikTok video without consent, says feels 'dehumanized'

A TikTok video did not seem to go down well with a an Australian woman who was featured on it without her consent. The woman, who is from Melbourne, claimed that she was secretly recorded for a "random act of kindness". The TikTok went viral and that was when she got to know that a secret camera recorded her for a TikTok video. Expressing her displeasure on the same, she said that she felt "dehumanised." In the video, the woman, named Maree can be seen being approached by TikToker Harrison Pawluk while she was at a public shopping mall, sitting at a table. Pawluk can be seen asking her to hold a bouquet of flowers as he puts on a jacket. After that he bid Maree good day and left without taking the flowers back leaving her confused. However, Maree's startled expression was shot and shared on the @LifeOfHarrison TikTok account several weeks ago with the caption, “I hope this made her day better.”

The clip went viral and over 59 million people have seen this video. As reported by the ABC Radio Melbourne, Maree said, “these artificial things are not random acts of kindness”. She said that the TikToker interrupted her quiet time, filmed and uploaded a video without her consent. She said, “I feel he is making quite a lot of money through it. It’s the patronizing assumption that … older women will be thrilled by some random stranger giving them flowers.”

She claimed that when she inquired about whether she was being filmed from the man, she was told "no." She also shared that she even offered the flowers back to Pawluk as she didn’t want to carry them home on the tram, but wasn’t given that opportunity.

Maree clearly seemed unhappy with the act as she said that after seeing the TikTok video featured in media reports describing her as an “elderly woman” with a “heartbreaking tale,” she felt “dehumanised”. However, a spokesperson for Pawluk said that the clip was “designed to spread love and compassion”.