The British government has called on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and other platforms to remove viral videos glorifying dangerous driving following a horrific crash that killed seven people, including two police officers.
The accident happened on Saturday at Middlesbrough in northeast England when a Volkswagen Passat driving the wrong way along the A66 motorway crashed into an armed police response vehicle of Cleveland Police.
Officers Matthew Blades, 37, and Tom Clough, 38, were killed instantly, as well as five young men between the ages of 17 and 23.
It is stated that the Passat was carrying cloned number plates and had taken part in some criminal activities such as “ramming properties” before the accident.
According to reports, one of the deceased teenagers was a previous uploader of dangerous driving videos on TikTok. A recently deleted account which is presumed to have belonged to him included footage of what seemed like a police chase at 100mph.
The Defense Minister Luke Pollard told the BBC the government has communicated with platforms to “step up” and remove content “celebrating dangerous behaviour on our roads.”He warned that tech companies must demonstrate they can police themselves, or face action under the UK’s Online Safety Act.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham called the glorification of dangerous driving for social media clips “utterly disgraceful” and “truly reprehensible.”
This event comes after another similar incident in Ireland last month where five teens died in an accident on the motorway driven in the wrong direction. The Police Commissioner in Ireland, Justin Kelly, said that some irresponsible actions behind the wheel were committed “for likes on social media.”
TikTok claimed that it blocks videos depicting violence and criminal activity with the help of technologies and moderation, while Meta and YouTube banned high-risk challenges in their policies. Nonetheless, videos showing dangerous driving continue to be available online.
So far, 17 suspects have been detained in connection with this case, facing charges of illegal firearm possession and drug-related crimes.
2026-08-25 19:55:00
