An Australian TikTok account run by a vigilante who targeted sexual predators has since been removed from the platform in the wake of an investigation by the Guardian.
The pedophile-hunting account, Pervert Productions, enjoyed a following of more than 3,000 during its short-lived stint. According to the Guardian, six videos posted on the account showed potential sex offenders being tricked into encounters where they were beaten up.
The account did not censor faces but stated on its profile that potential offenders were “innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”
After the vigilante account surfaced, police in New South Wales got involved, warning the public not to attempt enforcing laws.
TikTok has defended its removal of the vigilante account, citing its community guidelines. These rules specifically disallow the “depiction of criminal activities,” defined as “content that promotes acts of physical harm, such as assaulting” as well as “content that risks the safety of others.”
The Daily Dot asked New South Wales police whether apps like TikTok that allow people to broadcast vigilante behavior have had a wider impact beyond this incident, but police have yet to respond.
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H/T the Guardian
