Crackdown launched against immoral content on TikTok

PESHAWAR: A crackdown has been launched against social media activists involved in immoral and criminal activities on TikTok and other platforms.There were numerous complaints that many TikTok users were promoting immorality merely to earn money.

Complaints also stated that criminal groups in Peshawar and other districts were using TikTok to hurl threats at rivals, thereby endangering law and order and promoting violence in society.Several individuals involved in issuing such threats on TikTok were killed in recent months, apparently by their rivals.

A few others, including women, were also found dead under mysterious circumstances in their apartments. Some TikTokers were said to be promoting gambling, gun culture, and even displaying gunmen in escort vehicles.

Recently, a number of popular TikTokers in Punjab were arrested after posting videos that promoted violence or crime. These individuals later uploaded videos announcing they were quitting such activities after being apprehended by the Crime Control Department.

In Mardan, police arrested a couple of TikTokers who were allegedly involved in spreading immoral content on social media. In their video statements, the arrested users promised never to engage in immoral or criminal activities online again.

“The Mardan police have warned of strict action against all TikTok users involved in spreading vulgarity, violence, gun culture, or any other crime on social media,” said an official.He added that dozens of accounts from a prepared list are under surveillance and action will be taken once sufficient evidence is collected.

The crackdown began days after a local citizen, Saqib-ur-Rehman, filed a writ petition in the Peshawar High Court (PHC).The petition requested the PHC to stop live broadcasts in Pashto on TikTok, arguing that obscenity was being spread through abusive language and indecent acts during live sessions, which earned users large sums of money.

The petitioner demanded a ban on such activities, claiming they were creating unrest in society.The writ stated that TikTok Live sessions were viewed by thousands of people and later shared across other platforms. The content often included abusive language, obscene talk, indecent acts, and punishments, provoking public anger.

It further stated that while everyone has the freedom to express their opinion on social media, this does not mean they should spread obscenity or vulgarity.The petitioner submitted details of around 1,200 obscene videos and conversations to the court in the form of a USB.

Supporters of the petition have welcomed the crackdown initiated by Mardan police and urged other districts to take similar action. They also called on the FIA and other agencies to play their role in curbing such activities.

Although some TikTokers in KP and Punjab have been arrested for promoting violence and immorality online, a large number of such users operate from abroad. Blocking their content and taking action against a vast number of local social media users remains a major challenge for law enforcement agencies.