Meta Finally Unblocks “#saltbae,” After a Gold-Steak Gaffe
In a move that felt more like a verdict than a technical glitch, Facebook’s parent company, Meta, lifted the global ban on the hashtag #saltbae earlier this week. The tag got stuck after a viral clip of Turkish celebrity chef Nusret Gokce (also known as “Salt Bae”) feeding a gold‑leafed steak to a senior Vietnamese Party official in London went live.
“We’ve cleared the hashtag from the global pool and are digging into why it vanished in the first place,” a Meta spokesperson told Reuters. The ban, however, affected every user on the platform – not just those inside Vietnam. When people tried to type the tag, the search bar flagged it as a community‑standards violation.
The Gold‑Leafed Beef Saga
Here’s the backstory: In a clip that first surfaced on Gokce’s TikTok, the chef – famously known for sprinkling salt like a magician – handed a steak encrusted with real gold leaf to Vietnam’s Minister of Public Security, To Lam, who was on a diplomatic stint in Glasgow for COP26.
That steak? It’s not a budget idea – the price tag tops £1,450 (about $1,960) at the London restaurant where the chef operates. We’re talking about a meal that’s as expensive as a car, not a bite-sized snack.
The incident sparked a firestorm in Vietnam. Critics pointed out that a high‑ranking official was seen enjoying a luxury dish while the country was tightening its grip on corruption. The question? “Why’d To Lam let himself be caught eating a pricey steak?”
How the Social Media Whodunnit Unfolded
- Pre‑ban frenzy: The clip was shared on TikTok and then quickly snowballed across Facebook and other socials.
- The ban rolls out: Meta pulls the #saltbae hashtag worldwide, triggering an automated violation message for anyone who searches it.
- The reveal: Meta admits the block, says it’s under investigation, and promises a teardown of how the AI moderation system flagged the tag.
In the Senior Technology panel last year, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg hinted that AI is responsible for taking down over 90% of content that doesn’t meet guidelines. It turns out that too much automation can lead to a panicked over‑edit – our gold steak tag didn’t get the memo it deserved.
What the Vietnamese Public Thinks?
One Facebook user, Nguyen Lan Thang, who racked up almost 150,000 followers, changed his profile picture to a screenshot of the video and made a bold point: local media had been mute on the affair. He posted something like, “Security officers… have you seen this? How many months of salary would it take to buy just one piece of that steak?”
Until now, it’s unclear who actually paid for the lavish meal. Both Minister To Lam and Vietnam’s foreign ministry remained silent when asked for comments.
Bottom Line
Meta automatically slapped a worldwide “banned” tag on #saltbae after a controversial chef’s golden steak moment was broadcast. Facebook is now digging deeper to figure out if the AI did something wrong, while the Vietnamese public remains skeptical of a high‑ranking official’s luxury indulgence amid a crackdown on corruption. For now, the hashtag is back on the map, though the mystery of that pricey silver on paper remains unsolved.
<img alt="" data-caption="Newly elected Politburo member To Lam, in white uniform, poses on the podium along with all other new Vietnam Communist Party's central committee members at the closing ceremony of the 8-day-long national congress of the party in Hanoi, Jan 28, 2016.
PHOTO: Reuters” data-entity-type=”file” data-entity-uuid=”333c918e-40b7-449a-af36-e67f81819fd6″ src=”/sites/default/files/inline-images/ministerv.jpg”/>
Gold‑Tasting Minister Causes Stir on TikTok
This week, a Vietnamese minister’s TikTok clip featuring him “biting” a shining golden steak sparked an online frenzy—only to disappear faster than a pack of hot‑dog crumbs at a summer festival. The video was pulled from Gokce’s account right after it popped up, and additional copies were deleted from the app for breaching TikTok’s community standards. According to Vietnamese users, the chef‑like politician’s flashy pandemic‑era extravagance danced straight into the app’s spoiler tags.
Why the Clip Went Unasylm
- TikTok: “We’re about keeping it safe and following the rules.” The platform and the minister both dodged comment, a classic “no comment” situation you’d expect from a real‑dealing official.
- The reaction: “It’s not a shock that a government official can roll around with the fat stack of a fortune in Vietnam, but seeing a minister shake his jaw over a golden steak? It’s basically a fiasco.” One cafe patron in the north, who opted out of adding a name because safety is tight, echoed the sentiment.
What’s the Pay‑check for Politicians in Vietnam?
In a middle‑income country according to the World Bank, a minister’s monthly stipend sits comfortably at 16 million dong, roughly $705.47. Yet, give the chef man a digital clout badge and suddenly it’s “foodstagram” meets “government glamour.” The conversation? It’s full of mascara‑full irony and a diet of “are these ministers getting ripped or just getting richer?”
All in all …
When the culinary dramatics of a senior leader get shared on a coffee‑shop‑exactly‑like‑Sushi‑the‑world spread, it’s bound to clip and vanish under community standards. Both the minister’s mouth and the video’s status have been left with a funny, broken‑hearted “shutdown.” Still, the social media backlash proves hungry—if only for a sides complaining that the government’s gifts tested taste respectively.
Shutdown threat
How Vietnam Keeps Facebook on Its To-Do List
In Vietnam, the government has a knack for asking social‑media giants to erase content it calls “anti‑state.” Last year, the country even threatened to shut down Facebook if the platform didn’t yank more local political posts.
Facebook’s Silence
When the question came up, Facebook stayed tight‑lipped about whether the Vietnamese government had specifically requested to pull a certain video. The silence doesn’t change the fact that the pressure is real.
Vietnam’s Digital Puppet‑Master Playbook
Pointing fingers, Facebook said it removed some groups that Reuters identified as part of a government influence operation. These groups were trying to mass‑report content in the name of “cleaning up” the platform.
Meet the Big Boss: To Lam
To Lam is a heavyweight in Vietnamese politics. His ministry runs the police and the teams that crush dissent and investigate corruption. Rumors had him eyeing a spot as the nation’s future president back in January’s leadership shuffle.
In his role as security chief, he’s been known to haul in officials charged with corruption and flaunting lavish lifestyles. A recent headline even boasted that To Lam led a delegation to Karl Marx’s grave—to “remember the source of the water we drink.”
Why Marx Fits the Picture
The official press release spun the visit as a nod to Vietnam’s tradition of “remembering the source of the water we drink.” The idea is that those who steer a nation—especially one that has been ruled by a single ideology—deserve a little respect.
What This Means for Facebook Users
- Posts that critique or question the government risk being flagged.
- Groups that appear coordinated in lobbying for removal of content may face takedown.
- Facebook faces the double‑edged sword of keeping users safe without blatantly collecting state directives.
In short, if you’re giggling over memes in Vietnam, keep an eye on your content. It’s a tightrope walk between free speech and staying in the good graces of the authority that watches the digital world from the shadows.
