TIKTOK INFLUENCERS, INSTAGRAM GANGSTERS AND FAKE NEWS — HOW #SOCIALMEDIA IS AFFECTING CRIME
Social media is increasingly cropping up in crime and policing issues — it was even referenced in Parliament recently when South Africa’s controversial crime intelligence arena was discussed. And while these online platforms can be used for good, the sinister sides are becoming more apparent.
Photographs of a smiling man and woman standing next to each other move across the screen as a song about enduring love plays.
The words “till death did us part” are superimposed over the images.
This video has garnered thousands of “likes” on TikTok — it is posted on what appears to be the account of a gang suspect, Duncan Hoorn, from the Cape Town suburb of Hanover Park, who is accused of murder.
Hoorn’s wife Chantel Pasqualle was beaten, and died about a month later in July 2024 in hospital. He was arrested.
Without context, the video of the couple does not suggest anything untoward.
With context, while Hoorn has not been convicted, it can serve as a reminder of the darker side of social media.
That matter aside, criminals use these platforms; they are home to gangsters, scamsters, con artists — some of whom disguise themselves as decent people, and others who do not — and are intentionally used to proliferate fake news and promote false perceptions.
Guns, flashy cars and cash
A case that recently resulted in a jail term in the United States (US) is a clearcut example of how criminals can use social media — and brazenly so.
In January, Joel Adrian Valencia Rosas, 28, of Washington, was sentenced to 10 years in jail for a drug trafficking scheme.
The drug ring that Valencia Rosas was linked to used online platforms, including Snapchat and Instagram, to communicate and recruit new members.
In a statement on the Drug Enforcement Administration website, US Attorney Tessa Gorman said: “On social media he not only posted the drugs available for sale and their prices, he also attempted to portray the drug trafficking lifestyle as glamorous and lucrative, posting pictures of himself with firearms, flashy vehicles, and cash.
“In reality, drug trafficking leaves destruction in its wake.”
An image attached to the press release showed a smiling Valencia Rosas standing with each foot positioned on an expensive car.
Another showed him holding a wad of cash.
The press release about him said his social media posts had referenced how much money he would pay people to work as drug couriers.
“Even after Snapchat closed his account in December 2022, Valencia Rosas simply moved his recruiting efforts to another social media site: Instagram,” it said.
He was arrested in December 2023, and that culminated in his sentencing last month.
SA, social media and sleuths
There are examples of individuals accused of crime in South Africa who are depicted in extravagant settings on social media posts.
Traditional gang culture also appears to have spilled over online. The symbols and flags associated with different gangs are evident on certain profiles.
And social media merges with crime issues in other ways — this is increasingly becoming apparent locally.
Self-styled sleuths post their theories about, and active involvement in trying to solve, crimes.
Even if it is their intention to assist the authorities, and in some cases they may legitimately do so, they can potentially do the opposite and get in the way.
An example of a criminal case that social media has affected is that focused on Joshlin Smith, who went missing from the Middelpos informal settlement in Saldanha on 19 February 2024, when she was six years old.
Joshlin’s mother Racquel Smith, known as Kelly, is now on trial in connection with her daughter’s disappearance and is facing kidnapping and human trafficking charges along with her boyfriend co-accused, Jacquen Appollis, and their friend Steveno van Rhyn.
The trial is being heard in the Western Cape Division of the High Court sitting in the Saldanha Bay Multi-Purpose Centre.
After Joshlin went missing, TikTok users expressed various theories on the case and posted about attempts to find her.
Eyewitness News even published a segment in March last year — “TikTok sleuths pose risk to Joshlin Smith investigation” — saying their actions could see the police unnecessarily using resources in dealing with issues linked to social media.
Last week social media “influencer” Shakeera Ganief, a prolific TikTok user, testified as a witness in the trial into Joshlin’s disappearance as she had been in contact with Smith after Joshlin went missing (and said she had been involved in other missing children’s cases).
This — the calling of social media influencers as witnesses — is not a common occurrence in local court cases.
Unverified information and viral violence
In terms of sharing unverified information and video footage of crimes on social media platforms, the South African Police Service (SAPS) has previously warned against this.
It said: “The public at large is encouraged to report incidents to the authorities instead of posting on social media.”
The SAPS warning added that posting potential evidence of crimes on public platforms could result in suspects targeting the person who posted it, and could even spark vigilante attacks.
But crimes caught on camera still make it online, and the footage spreads fast.
It is no longer unusual to see shootings, even murders, on social media.
One of the high-profile cases in point is the February 2023 killing of rapper Kiernan Forbes, better known as AKA, in Durban.
It was caught on CCTV footage that landed on social media.
Type a few words into the search function of a platform and the last moments of Forbes’ life are there for public viewing.
Fake news and real problems
Disinformation is also easily accessible on social media because it is being pushed there.
US President Donald Trump has recently repeatedly made claims about South Africa on X (formerly Twitter) — claims the South African government has labelled misinformation.
In the local crime sector, Daily Maverick recently reported that Parliament heard that the police’s controversial Crime Intelligence unit was the victim of disinformation that was being spread on social media.
Read more: Crime Intelligence target of social media fake news, but Parliament hears unit also like ‘a mafia’
The appointment of “social media monitoring specialists” was therefore at an advanced stage.
A Crime Intelligence presentation had explained: “There are certain individuals within the organisation and the public who are responsible for the misinformation, fake news, unproven allegations and leakage of sensitive information that are always trending on social media, giving an impression that there is instability within the division.”
While that may be the case, other serious and real problems relating to the unit suggest that there is instability in it.
Police conduct
Meanwhile, the SAPS has been introspective in terms of social media and the conduct of the police.
On platforms including Facebook and Instagram, it has previously warned that management had noted an increase in pictures and videos being posted that equated to unethical conduct.
It warned: “No member may, on their own accord, represent the SAPS on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc, either on their own social media accounts or those belonging to the SAPS.
“No member may use a profile picture of themselves in uniform or display any police insignia, badges, or logos as their avatar on their private social media accounts.”
Doing so could result in disciplinary action. DM
2025-03-18T19:34:12Z