Questions to police about the influence of gangs on TikTok have gone unanswered, after police revealed they were working with the social media giant on ramraids.
Links between gangs and the ramraids are suspected, but the app which hosts bite-sized videos has also seen a proliferation of gang content as its users in Aotearoa have increased.
Members of the Killer Beez and the Tribesmen MC gangs, responsible for a recent tit-for-tat shooting flare-up, both use the app.
JASON DORDAY/Stuff
Mourners gather outside St Joseph’s Church in Grey Lynn for the funeral of a patched Head Hunter who died in police custody. (File photo)
TikTok is popular with young people, including children, and is known for dancing and comedic skit videos, making global star of Charlie De’Amelio, and Kiwis including Zephan Clark, who has 3 million followers, and Terressa Kollat.
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One company thinks there are now 1.3 million monthly users in New Zealand.
STUFF
Tribesmenm other bikers and associated gang members travelling together near Christchurch. (File photo)
Unlike Facebook or Instagram, TikTok’s users don’t have to follow anyone to use the app. The “For you page” shows videos selected by a powerful algorithm that learns what the user likes. Its semi-random nature gives the content a chance at reaching a wider audience.
TikTok’s own analytical tool shows #killerbeez has 46 videos with 551,600 views, up from 160,000 in January, with an average of 12,000 views per video.
#tribesmenmc has 520,000 views from 7 videos, or 74,000 views per video. There are many more videos that use #tribesmenmc that TikTok’s analytical tool doesn’t include, suggesting the number of views and videos is higher.
TikTok videos showing gang life – such as patching ceremonies, league games or tangi – can get tens of thousands of views on the site, some even cracking hundreds of thousands of views. They almost always show legal activities.
STUFF
Superintendent Jill Rogers says two of the addresses targeted in Auckland shootings have no current links to gangs.
Police were asked whether TikTok was a threat or challenge – beyond more established social media such as Facebook, YouTube or Instagram – with regard to gang recruitment and advertisement.
However, police answered in general social media terms, rather than answering the specific questions about TikTok.
“In recent years we have seen organised crime groups changing the way they market themselves. Part of this is through the use of social media, where they aim to make themselves appear more attractive to young people, and to forge international connections,” Detective superintendent Greg Williams said.
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Head Hunters gang members gather at the Puhoi Hotel. (File photo)
Williams said the videos, which can glamorise and promote gang life, ignore the harm brought on communities by their meth trade, intimidation and violence.
“It’s important that parents keep an eye on their children’s social media use, and talk to them about the things they’re seeing online,” Williams said.
Jarrod Gilbert, sociologist at the University of Canterbury, said it was highly unlikely that a wider audience would cause more people to join a gang.
Iain McGregor/Stuff
University of Canterbury sociologist Jarrod Gilbert said gang members use social media like anyone else, not in an organised marketing ploy.
“Guys come from very specific socioeconomic corners of our community,” he said.
Gilbert disagreed with the police’s statement that gang social media use was a group-based, conscious and organised marketing ploy and said instead usage was the same kind of self-promotion everyone else uses social media for.
“Social media has clearly provided a new dimension to the gang scene.
“In reality, the gangs use social media in the way we all do… it just so happens that it promotes the gangs.
“I’m certain the gangs aren’t sitting around saying, ‘Let’s promote this,’” he said.
A TikTok spokesperson said it removed and banned accounts that promoted criminal activity, which isn’t often shown in the videos.
“Our team has been engaging with the New Zealand Police on this issue, to facilitate reporting, investigations, and take action where there has been a breach of our policies.
”We remain vigilant in our commitment to countering such content and encourage our community to report potential violations of our Community Guidelines,” the spokesperson said.
