Social media giants are facing mounting pressure to remove “truly reprehensible” videos of dangerous joyriding stunts that put innocent lives at risk. The spotlight has fallen on tech bosses after seven people – including two police officers – died in a head-on crash near Middlesbrough.
Some of the biggest platforms, including TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat, were still full of videos showing cars recklessly weaving through traffic at speeds exceeding 100mph last night. Ministers said Silicon Valley leaders should “turn off the algorithm that incentivises and shares this type of illegal content”.
Political condemnation and calls for action
Prime Minister Andy Burnham branded the social media videos “truly reprehensible”, while Downing Street warned that the “glorification of dangerous driving for clips and entertainment is utterly disgraceful”.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp told the Daily Express: “PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough died doing their duty, run down by a reckless driver. My thoughts are with the families and friends of those officers, and with everyone serving in Cleveland Police, the wider police family and the emergency services who attended the scene.
“Sick content glorifying dangerous driving has no place online, and it should not take a series of deaths before social media companies take it seriously.
“Social media companies know what is on their platforms and have the tools to remove it. They need to use them.”
TikTok sources said the firm removes content that promotes crimes that could harm people. The company says it is trying to track down videos of “unsafe behaviour”.
Investigation reveals organised crime links
Cleveland Police said five young men who died after their vehicle hit a police car on a dual carriageway may have had links to “serious and organised criminal activity”. Officers said 12 people have been arrested in connection with the probe into the crash that killed seven people.
PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, died after a Volkswagen Passat, which had been pursued by police, was driven the wrong way along a dual carriageway near Middlesbrough and hit their marked vehicle. Cole Worthy and Theo Rae, both 17, Makai Saddington, 18, and Michael Robert Cahill and Jacob Matusiak, both 23, were also pronounced dead at the scene early on Saturday.
Cleveland Police said four of the occupants of the Passat had previous police convictions. On Monday, officers revealed they had been trying to stop two cars suspected of ramming properties in the Middlesbrough area. Detectives linked the Passat involved in the crash to a Volvo XC60 seen crashing into properties earlier on Friday night.
Cleveland Police said nine men and three women aged between 19 and 61 were arrested. They are suspected of a number of offences, including possession of a firearm and involvement in the activities of an organised crime group. Police said both vehicles were operating with cloned number plates but were picked up by automated number plate recognition technology.
Social media content under scrutiny
Officers said there is no evidence to indicate that filming of the activities that took place on Friday night and Saturday morning was for TikTok. But social media accounts linked to the passengers in the Passat appeared to show men in balaclavas on motorbikes and previous police pursuits set to rap music.
The crash came after five teenagers were killed in Ireland when they drove a BMW down the wrong side of the M9 motorway. They collided with a family heading to a wedding. The Daily Express saw examples of so-called reckless high-speed driving on social media sites, including one clip of someone driving down the wrong side of the road.
Mr Burnham declared: “Anybody who glorifies dangerous driving is doing something that is truly reprehensible and unacceptable.” Defence minister Luke Pollard said: “I think it should be for social media companies, who have offered warm words, to turn off the algorithm that incentivises and shares this type of illegal content.
“Don't give those people who are seeking the opportunity to cash in on this illegal behaviour, because it's not just about views, those views can be translated into money that's paid by those social media networks to the people posting that content.”
Reform’s Lee Anderson said: “I think the only way you are going to stop these social media companies from allowing these outrageous posts to be put on their platforms is huge fines.
“There’s a case going in America at the moment, a social media case, where families are taking Meta to court over this type of thing. The only way you’re going to stop it is by hitting them, strongly, in the pocket.
“The only way you can hit these big tech companies is by huge fines. It’s as simple as that, hit them in the pocket.”
Arrests and tributes to fallen officers
Cleveland Police said 12 people have been arrested over alleged criminality leading up to the collision in Teesside. These included four people arrested on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group and four on suspicion of possessing a firearm. Four of the suspects are also accused of possessing Class A and B drugs with intent to supply.
Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Fox said: “This has been a fast-moving and complex investigation, with significant links to serious and organised criminal activity.
“The events of that tragic night will have a lasting and profound impact on the Cleveland area and the communities we seek to protect.
“We have a duty to respond to, and thoroughly investigate, the serious criminal activity that resulted in this fatal incident, and to bring all those responsible to justice.
“Our robust response will continue in the weeks and months to come, as we continue to tackle those that seek to cause harm to our communities and tackle serious and organised crime.
“Officers and staff across Cleveland have shown incredible resilience in continuing their work in the face of tragedy.”
PC Blades and PC Clough were not involved in the original pursuit, but had been called to the area to assist with the search for the Passat. Family members described former Civil Nuclear Constabulary officer PC Clough as “our hero” who was “always on public duty”. The father-of-two’s family called him “our superhero” and said: “He gave his life in the line of duty, protecting and serving others with courage, dedication and selflessness.”
In a statement issued by Cleveland Police, PC Blades’ wife called him “my beloved husband, my best friend, and the most devoted father to our two young boys”. She said he was “an adored son and brother, a perfect son-in-law, and the most fun uncle”.
“He was loved beyond words by all his family and friends, and his loss has left a space that can never be filled,” she said. “Our children will grow up knowing what an incredible father he was and will always be, and I will carry his love, his memory and everything we shared with me always.”
