Britain tells TikTok and other platforms to remove videos glorifying dangerous driving after deaths

Britain's government has called on TikTok and other social media companies to remove videos that glorify dangerous driving following a tragic crash. Two police officers and five young men were killed in a collision when a car was driven down the wrong side of a road in northeastern England. The incident has sparked fears over the spread of such videos on social media.

British Defense Minister Luke Pollard spoke to the BBC, urging the platforms to "step up" and take down videos that celebrate dangerous driving. He emphasized that social media companies cannot rely solely on self-regulation. Prime Minister Andy Burnham's office also condemned the glorification of dangerous driving, stating that the UK media regulator supports strong action against platforms that fail to meet their legal obligations.

TikTok did not respond directly, but stated that its policies prohibit content that could cause significant physical harm. The fatal crash involved a Volkswagen driven the wrong way along a road, which struck two police officers and five young men, resulting in their deaths. Twelve people were arrested following the incident, including suspicion of criminal activities like possessing a firearm.

Separately, in Ireland, four people, including a child, were seriously injured last week when their car was hit by another vehicle traveling the wrong way down a highway. Five teenagers in the other vehicle died in the crash. An Irish parliamentary committee invited TikTok to discuss its handling of content that "glorifies illegal activity," but the social media company declined to participate in the discussion.