A man's story about a plane passenger reading his texts and accusing him of cheating on his wife sparked concerns about phone privacy and holding strangers accountable
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- A man's story of how a stranger on a plane accused him of cheating on his wife went viral on TikTok.
- In the TikTok, he said a woman sitting next to him on a flight misunderstood texts to his daughter.
- He said she then threatened to expose him online, sparking concerns about invasions of privacy.
A man who said a person sitting next to him on a flight accused him of having an affair after reading texts on his phone before takeoff shared the story in a viral TikTok, sparking privacy concerns and discussions about holding strangers accountable.
The user, who goes by the handle @berryd_treasure, posted about the incident on Monday. He addressed the TikTok, which has over 7.8 million views, to his wife and explained that he wanted to describe his version of events to show he has "nothing to hide." The user did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
"When I boarded my plane today, I sat in my seat, a lady sat next to me. I sent you a text saying 'I'm on the plane, I love you.' And then I went right from texting you to texting another girl and said, 'Hey I'm on my plane, I love you.' To which the lady sitting next to me said I should be ashamed of myself," the user said.
He went on to say the fellow traveler saw him send similar texts to both his wife, who is stored as "Beautiful" on his phone, and another person. He added that the woman told him she saw his TikTok handle and proceeded to threaten to expose him on the platform.
That's when the user said that the other person he was texting was his daughter, not someone he was having an affair with.
"I just wanted to tell you before she does," he said, addressing his wife. "So if you could go down to the end of the hall and tell our daughter that I will no longer be texting her from the plane that I love her because I can only love one girl at a time that would be great."
"And to the lady sitting next to me on the plane, you should probably learn to mind your own business. And I really hope that you see this," he added. "Have a nice day."
Commentators shared sympathy with the user and expressed concerns about how the incident was an invasion of privacy.
While some said it never crosses their minds to look at strangers' phones, others said the user's experience was a prime example of why they've invested in privacy screen protectors.
Privacy screen protectors use light polarization technology that makes sure phones, other tablets, and laptop screens are only visible when viewed straight on, according to Nord VPN. From all other angles, it's impossible to get a good look at what is on the screen, including texts.
The incident led to questions about the ethics of holding strangers accountable
TikTok has become a resource for people to find and appeal for information about others, including their own partners.
Some users have willingly used the platform to find out whether their partners have cheated on them. Meanwhile, other creators have found their relationships unintentionally put under the microscope by millions on the platform.
However, this most recent viral video has led to a debate about the ethics of holding strangers accountable online. Some commenters praised the woman who sat next to the man on the plane for what they said was her acting in the interest of the wife.
"Naw that lady was lookin out for the wife," one user wrote in a comment that has over 1,780 likes.
Another wrote that they were "happy the woman made you accountable. Not fair to your wife."
In a follow-up TikTok shared on Friday, the user, @berryd_treasure, responded by saying he doesn't understand why the woman had to make him accountable in the first place.
"The woman held me accountable for loving my daughter? It's not fair to my wife that I also love my daughter?" he said, incredulously, to the camera. "I just don't understand the thinking behind this."
Users responding to the newest video on the saga again expressed support for the creator.
"It's great to see the love you have for your family, people should mind their own business," one wrote.
However, some also suggested the person who said they were glad he was held "accountable" might not have watched his original video all the way through. "Either they are being sarcastic or didn't watch the entire video," another user commented.