Dances, memes, and the latest online challenges can all go viral online, and many for great causes. But one disturbing trend that is continuing to grow is "cartel TikTok."
Instead of using violent images to invoke fear in viewers, drug cartels are presenting luxurious lifestyles and exciting high-speed capers like boat chases. Guns, tigers, and women have become video fodder, making young people feel they can attain these glamorous things and live exciting lifestyles if they join the criminal enterprises. And, because algorithms resurface similar content once someone shows interest in a topic, users can be flooded with highly-curated favorable images of these groups.
Many of these clips go viral on TikTok, which does have a policy of banning content that shows illegal activity and the promotion of some regulated goods including drugs. The company employs image recognition software to identify these videos and accounts as quickly as possible, as well as an investigation team. It also works with global law enforcement agencies. Still, with more than 100 million monthly active users in America — and millions more worldwide — it can be difficult to catch all this content before it goes mainstream.
"TikTok is committed to working with law enforcement to combat organized criminal activity. In line with our Community Guidelines, we remove content and accounts that promote illegal activity and regulated goods as we work to keep our community safe," a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement.
University of Murcia anthropologist Alejandra León Olvera called the phenomenon "narco-marketing" in an interview with The New York Times, saying the organizations were using the attention as publicity. While creating allure for criminal enterprises through pop culture has existed for years, ranging from Scarface posters to Narco Fashion, recent movies and TV shows including Netflix Narcos have created popular anti-heroes for a new generation.
The internet has only helped propagate these images. Troubling gang or terrorist-created clips going viral or getting ad dollars before they are caught by the platforms is a widespread problem. Most notably, ads from mainstream brands including Anheuser-Busch and Procter & Gamble were observed running in front of Jihadist promotional videos on YouTube in 2015. It led to boycotts, and Google has committed itself to more technology and human-led review processes on its content especially when it's backed by advertising dollars.
Meanwhile, Mexican cartel violence is only increasing. Mexico's sixth most populous state Guanajuato, which is an industrial and farming area that has direct access through roads leading to the U.S., had upwards of 3,400 homicides through September alone, according to the Associated Press. Some worry that the strategy of making their actions seem cool and appealing may only contribute to the problems.
