UK Urges TikTok and Social Media Platforms to Remove Content Glorifying Dangerous Driving

LONDON: The British government has urged TikTok and other social media platforms to remove videos that glorify dangerous driving following a fatal road crash in northeastern England that claimed the lives of two police officers and five young men.

The officers, identified as Matthew Blades and Tom Clough, were killed Saturday when a Volkswagen traveling on the wrong side of the road collided with their vehicle. Five occupants of the Volkswagen — three teenagers aged 17 and 18 and two 23-year-old men — also died at the scene.

The tragedy has intensified concerns over social media content featuring motorists deliberately engaging in reckless driving and posting the footage online for entertainment or attention. British media reports indicated that one of the people killed in the crash may previously have posted a video showing dangerous driving.

UK Defense Minister Luke Pollard said the government had contacted TikTok and other platforms and called on them to take immediate action against content that celebrates dangerous behavior on the country’s roads.

Pollard said social media companies should demonstrate that they can effectively police harmful material, particularly as some platforms have previously argued that voluntary measures can address such concerns.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s office also condemned the glorification of dangerous driving for online clips and entertainment. The government has expressed support for the UK’s media regulator taking strong action against platforms that fail to meet their legal responsibilities.

TikTok did not provide a detailed response but said its policies prohibit content that could cause significant physical harm.

Police said the vehicle involved in the fatal crash was using a cloned number plate, apparently to avoid detection. Authorities also announced the arrest of 12 people in connection with suspected criminal activity, including alleged firearm possession, before the crash.

The issue has also drawn attention in neighboring Ireland, where a separate wrong-way crash in County Kildare last week left four people, including a child, seriously injured and killed five teenagers in the other vehicle.

An Irish parliamentary committee subsequently invited TikTok to discuss its handling of content that glorifies illegal activity. The company declined the invitation.

The incidents have renewed calls for social media companies to strengthen measures against videos that encourage dangerous or illegal driving, amid growing concern that viral content can encourage risky behavior on public roads.