The British police have recorded over 6,000 crimes linked to the video-sharing platform TikTok in 2023, a significant increase from the 5,000 crimes reported in 2022. This data was gathered from a survey covering 44 police centers in England and Wales this year. The crimes associated with TikTok include assaults, abuse, theft, intimidation, child mistreatment, and bullying, along with attempts to groom children. Concerns have been raised that the actual number of such crimes might be closer to 9,000, as 12 centers failed to report their data.
In London, the police dealt several times last year with a content creator named Mizzy, real name Bakari Bronze Ogara, who is 19 years old. He was sentenced to 18 weeks in jail for pranks that included taking a dog from an elderly woman, entering homes without permission, and getting into strangers’ cars.
The police also dealt with a scammer who falsely claimed to be raising funds in memory of his deceased children. Another individual was jailed for committing 20 crimes, including dangerous driving, after being filmed riding a motorcycle on sidewalks and the wrong side of the road.
Regarding TikTok’s regulation, David Spencer from the Crime Prevention Center commented, “While I hate to advocate for internet censorship, the malevolent influence of TikTok means that there is a need to extend the government-imposed ban.” In response, TikTok pointed out that “criminal activity is not allowed on TikTok, and we work with local law enforcement authorities to ensure this when necessary. We enforce strict rules against this content and behavior, and 96% of violating content is removed before being reported to us.
Crimes related to social media in the UK have seen a notable increase in various categories. Popular social media platforms like Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp were frequently used in these offences.
The Crown Prosecution Service highlights that cyber-enabled crimes, traditional crimes amplified by the use of computers, are becoming increasingly prevalent. These include hacking, trolling on social media, phishing, identity theft, and the distribution of malware. Specific crimes, such as online harassment, revenge porn, and cyber-enabled fraud, have been noted. The CPS emphasizes the role of the dark web in facilitating criminal activities, including the trade of illegal items such as drugs and firearms.
