TikTok Urged to Take Action Over Oxford Street 'Robbery' Campaign

Quincy Jon, Tech Times 15 August 2023, 03:08 pm

The UK's Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) head, Donna Jones, has urged TikTok to take action on a recent "robbery" campaign that purportedly occurred on the platform and led to many Oxford Street business closures and several arrests.

As concerns have been raised about social media's possible involvement in coordinating criminal activity. Jones stressed the need for TikTok's governance team to respond right now, given the engagement of well-known social media influencers connected to the platform's content.

She emphasized that social media companies are accountable for stopping illegal activity from being planned via their platforms, The Guardian reported.

Following an incident where hundreds of adolescents congregated outside JD Sports on Oxford Street last Wednesday, the Metropolitan Police made nine arrests and issued 34 dispersal orders. The unruly scenario apparently resulted from posts on Snapchat and TikTok encouraging viewers to take part in an "Oxford Circus JD robbery" at 3 p.m.

Parents Asked to Supervise Their Kids

Jones advised the youngsters' guardians and parents to talk to their kids about how serious the crime was. She hoped that discussions regarding the repercussions of such behavior would prevent any possible recurrences. She also emphasized the need to enforce criminal penalties to prevent such incidents from happening again.

The APCC chief also drew attention to other troubling occurrences connected to TikTok, such as one where young people engaged in a risky game by challenging one another to take paracetamol overdoses, which led to hospitalizations, according to Daily Mail.

Police in Southend-on-Sea have been given expanded authority to issue dispersal orders against anyone they suspect is engaging in antisocial behavior associated with TikTok-organized meetings to address the rising concerns about social media-organized events. Arrests may result from disobeying these directives.

TikTok Denies Accountability

The episodes of looting and disruption orchestrated through social media platforms have been denounced by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as "appalling" and "unacceptable," per the Evening Standard. PM Sunak also said he "fully supports the police in bringing those people to justice."

TikTok has denied any involvement in the Oxford Street "robbery" campaign. A representative highlighted that the accusation is unsupported by any proof and that the firm has "zero tolerance" for any information that encourages or supports illegal activity.

The TikTok official also said the company employs "over 40,000 safety professionals dedicated to keeping TikTok safe," who take down harmful content and work with law enforcement authorities.

As the investigation continues, the Oxford Street Robbery campaign has sparked discussions on the function and obligations of social media platforms in preventing criminal activity, especially when it involves young people.