UK Minister Urges Social Media Firms to Remove Dangerous Driving Videos
British Broadcasting Corporation
1 hour ago
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By Alex Smith and Zoe Kleinman, Technology editor
Defence Minister Luke Pollard has called for social media companies to remove content celebrating dangerous driving after a recent trend involving videos of people driving the wrong way down roads.
During an interview on BBC Breakfast, Pollard stated:
"Social media companies could take that down today, adjust their algorithms so it's not celebrated."
This appeal comes following a tragic incident on Saturday where two police officers, PC Tom Clough and PC Matthew Blades, lost their lives in a crash with a car travelling the wrong way on a dual carriageway near Middlesbrough. All five passengers in the other vehicle also perished.
A TikTok account believed to belong to one of the victims, 18-year-old Makai Saddington, shared videos showcasing dangerous driving maneuvers, which have since been removed.
Pollard's Comments and Government Response:
Pollard emphasized that the government has already taken steps to instruct social media firms to remove such content. He highlighted the financial incentive for users to post outrageous content to gain views, thereby earning money.
A Downing Street spokeswoman echoed these sentiments, stating: "The glorification of dangerous driving for clips and entertainment is utterly disgraceful." She added that the culture secretary has urged social media platforms to remove footage of illegal activities "in line with their legal obligations," and that Ofcom has the government's full support in holding these platforms accountable.
Legal Considerations:
It's important to note that while video content featuring illegal activities is not inherently illegal, social networks have the responsibility to decide whether flagged content violates their terms of service and take appropriate action.
TikTok, for its part, has stated that its policies prohibit content that could cause significant physical harm, including dangerous driving. The company claimed that 99.8% of content removed for violating these policies was taken down proactively between January and March 2026. While TikTok is removing some videos, it may not always be due to the content being illegal but rather because it breaches their own platform rules.
There are specific exceptions outlined in the Online Safety Act that social media companies must consider when dealing with such content.