Controversial video: Influencer throws lobsters off waterfall to ‘save’ them

A video posted on TikTok by a Quebec influencer on Wednesday sparked strong reactions.

The footage shows Guy Fortin buying live lobster at the grocery store before heading to the bridge overlooking the Montmorency Falls where he throws the crustaceans to “save” them.

“Yeah! Another good deed,” he can be heard saying after the animal falls off the top of the chute.

The video, which has been viewed more than 130,000 times on the social network and angered many users, was deleted on Thursday. Many described it as cruel to animals.

For digital strategist Valérie Beaudoin-Carle, influencers must increasingly use authenticity to thwart platform algorithms, sometimes leaving room for a few slip-ups.

The platforms have also evolved, so influencers had no choice but to follow this pace. Algorithms are more complicated, so creators and influencers strive to find different ways to get clicks, to get more shares, because the more shares you have, the more contracts you search for, the more your publications will be expensive when you intend to do collaborations.

Jay Fortin did not respond to interview requests from TVA Novels at the time of this writing.