Brad Bradford campaign video features women's transit 'horror stories' without consent

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Toronto mayoral candidate Brad Bradford is standing by his decision to use TikTok clips in one of his campaign videos from several women who shared stories of feeling unsafe on the TTC after at least two of them expressed concerns about their experiences being shared without their consent.

During an interview Thursday morning with NewsTalk 1010’s John Moore, Bradford said that he views social media as an accessible way for people to communicate, engage in conversations and “share issues that are important to them, like safety on the TTC,” adding he’s a “little bit surprised” that his recent video about TTC safety concerns is getting so much criticism.

“It makes me wonder if some of my rivals and opponents who are attacking me don't actually understand how social media works,” said Bradford, who told Moore that they will not be removing the video in question.

“Everybody has the option to, you know, change the privacy controls on their TikTok. So if you don't actually want your video shared, you can turn that off,” he said.

“We're using the platform exactly how it's been intended and designed to be used.”

It should be noted that it’s not illegal for someone to share or post another’s social media content without consent, including for the dissemination of news, however concerns arise when content is used and manipulated without permission for an advertisement or a promotion.

Bradford, meanwhile, said that he and his team plan to create more similar videos about issues impacting Torontonians as it’s a way to for them to “meet people where they’re at.” In fact, Bradford posted another video featuring TikTokers talking about gridlock just late this morning.

“I want Torontonians across the city to know I am listening,” he said.

“My political opponents want to attack me about it, but I will keep listening to the issues and responding accordingly.”

On Tuesday at 6:15 p.m., Bradford posted a roughly two-minute long election campaign video on his social media channels that featured stories from seven young women who had experienced a range of “horror stories on the TTC,” as he put it.

“It’s time for a serious plan and real action to restore safety in our city,” the post read.

Toronto resident Hamna Awan, one of the women in Bradford’s video, told CP24.com that she had no idea that a portion of a clip she’d shared on Tiktok about a man who followed her and made an unwanted advance had ended up in Bradford’s campaign video until someone commented on her original post.

“It was used without asking. … There was no discussion or request to use my post,” she said Wednesday afternoon, adding the small segment of her footage used in Bradford’s video “wasn’t reflective” of her experience and was “out of proportion and out of context.”

Awan also said that she doesn’t want to appear to support any particular mayoral hopeful’s run for mayor.

“I don’t endorse any one candidate or any one platform. I don’t want to come across that way,” she added.

As a Tiktoker, Awan said it’s common for posts to be used and shared by others, but with proper credit and links to the original poster.

“I feel this was a lack of etiquette,” she said.

“That’s where this issue is. Piecing together different clips for a political ad campaign is not wanted.”

In a statement provided to CTV News Toronto, Myah Elliott, another woman whose footage was used without consent in Bradford’s video, said she also found out about her clip being used without permission when someone commented on her original post.

“Nobody had asked permission, and I wasn’t even tagged in the video he/his team created,” she wrote.

“I understand TikTok is a public platform, but using my video for a political campaign without permission can tarnish my image when I don’t know what his values are. It’s so important to give credit where credit is due, especially when my face and voice is included.”

‘When survivors tell their story, they get to decide who tells it’

Human rights and gender equity advocate Farrah Khan said “consent is the cornerstone of building a world without violence,” adding Bradford’s actions are not trauma informed and do not show a commitment to that end.

“When survivors tell their story, they get to decide who tells it, when they tell it, and how it gets told,” she said Thursday morning.

“If you’re trying to end violence, you need permission, especially if it’s for someone’s personal gain.”

Khan said TTC service cuts, like bus and streetcar route reductions, stemming from budget shortfalls, which Bradford previously voted in favour of as a TTC board member, “hurt women” and are a key reason why the system is unsafe, especially for women and gender non-binary people.

She said if Bradford wants to wade into the gender-based violence discussion he should have an “overarching plan” to address gender inequity through “gender responsive” budgets and audits, among other things.

“That’s what we need,” Khan said.