A US Magistrate Judge has denied TikTok creator Alireza Shafiei, also known as PrettyBoyAli, his request to compel Reddit to reveal the identity of a user who posted a clip of him making offensive remarks during a livestream. The judge ruled that the Reddit post was protected under the fair use doctrine, as it served as criticism of Shafiei's rhetoric.
The case began in July 2025 when a Reddit user, tiktoktruthseeker, posted a 27-second clip from one of Shafiei's livestreams to the Favorited Ranks Drama subreddit. The clip featured Shafiei aggressively insulting a viewer, using homophobic and sexually suggestive language, and disparaging the viewer's mother. The Reddit post included commentary labeling Shafiei's remarks as homophobic and a form of weaponizing sexual assault imagery. Despite the post garnering fewer than 50 upvotes, Shafiei attempted to use a DMCA claim and legal channels to have the content removed and the user's identity disclosed.
On June 26, US Magistrate Judge Thomas Hixon in California rejected Shafiei's motion. Judge Hixon stated that the Reddit user's post was a "transformative fair use" because it was used to "express criticism of Shafiei’s rhetoric." He noted that even though the clip was unaltered, the purpose of the posting was critical commentary, which is a "quintessential fair use right." The judge further emphasized that the Reddit user was not profiting from the post, making it a "non-commercial" and "transformative" piece of content.
Shafiei had argued that the unedited nature of the clip meant it was not sufficiently transformed to qualify for fair use protection. However, Judge Hixon cited legal precedent indicating that physical changes are not always necessary for a use to be considered transformative. He also pointed out the quantitative insignificance of a 27-second clip from a creator who livestreams extensively, weighing in favor of fair use.
The judge's order concluded that "the record establishes that Reddit’s user made fair use of Shafiei’s video clip." Consequently, no copyright infringement occurred, and there was no legal basis under the DMCA to compel the disclosure of the user's identity. The denial of Shafiei's motion means the Reddit user remains anonymous, and the critical post, which was intended to draw attention to Shafiei's offensive language, may now inadvertently expose it to a wider audience.