A Filter-Removing Trick Targets Silhouette Challenge Creators

There's one true, unchanging reality of the internet: No matter where you go, or what you do, it's teeming with perverts. TikTok's red silhouette filter is the latest trend to prove this point; the filter went viral twice, first through the Silhouette Challenge, and then again when it was revealed that there were ways to remove the filter through editing to reveal the raw footage underneath.

The Silhouette Challenge brought a sultry, Chicago feel to TikTok, allowing users to strike sexy poses in their underwear, bathing suits, or nothing at all, then apply the red light filter to only show off their silhouette. It was all in the name of good fun, until it wasn't. Videos on how to remove the filter are one of the first hits on YouTube when searching the TikTok challenge, some raking in hundreds of thousands of views.

TikTok creators spread the word on the app, urging others to stay aware of how the video could easily be manipulated by bored or nefarious perverts. "I keep seeing the Silhouette Challenge on my For You page, and even though they're all really cute and creative and y'all look bomb in them, just make sure you're being cognizant of what you're wearing before you actually do all the editing for the final product," warns TikTok creator and photographer @lostvsnryshots.

"Anyone can easily take those images and revert them back to the original," she continues. "So if you're wearing a bra and panties, or if you're nude, or whatever you did before you applied the editing to create that shadow look, just know that it's really easy to just put it back to the original."

Whether or not the aforementioned tutorial videos stand in violation to YouTube's terms and services is to be determined.