At least 92 TikTok accounts and 2 Telegram groups were deactivated because they advocated crime and were spreading dangerous or offensive content for users of both platforms.

The Secretariat of Public Security (SSP) of the state of Sonora in Mexico indicated that the profiles were disclosing videos and images that could affect third parties.

TikTok scams

The agency pointed out that on TikTok, some users were promoting their services as “polleros”, which are people who are known illegally to illegally cross the border with the United States; In addition, they offered work to transport drugs and weapons between the two countries.

According to local authorities, the TikTok profiles had a reach of more than 18 million views. If they are not stopped, they could put more people who contact them at risk.

At the moment it is unknown why the platform of Chinese origin did not previously lower the accounts, since in its community regulations it indicates that: “We do not allow the representation, promotion or trafficking of drugs or other controlled substances. Trading in tobacco and alcohol products is also prohibited on the platform.”

In addition, it ensures that “ Shocking, graphic, sadistic or truculent content is not allowed on our platform or that promotes, normalizes or extols extreme violence or suffering. In the event that we detect a threat to public safety, we will ban the account and, if appropriate, report the incident to the relevant authorities.”

Activities detected in Telegram groups

On the other hand, the authorities indicated that they cancelled two Telegram groups because through cyber patrolling they found that they were dedicated to sharing child pornography and “packs” of women. They had more than 18 thousand active users.

As part of these actions to stop the spread of violent content, they are working to deactivate another 20 Telegram groups detected to date, which also disclose images that affect the integrity of third parties.

Social networks, a means to spread “packs”

Although on this occasion these two platforms were targeted, similar practices have also been reported on WhatsApp and Facebook. Through anonymous complaints, groups have been evidenced, as it was in Mexico “Packs Querétaro”, where a man offered intimate images of women using the phrase “I sell packs and distribute women”.

After the users’ uproar, the group was removed, however, it had been in force for several weeks before, despite the algorithms having to detect these actions and block them without the need for Internet users to select the “report publication” option.

The Internet promotes an increase in porn consumption

According to a study by the Family Research Council (FRC), although pornographic pages represent only 4% of the entire internet, they move 30% of all web traffic.

In an interview for the international media BBC, Anna Lembke, a professor at Stanford University in the United States, assured that “the Internet and portable digital devices promote the emergence of all these domains, making today’s pornography more abundant, more accessible, more powerful and newer than the pornography of the past and, therefore, more addictive”.