A rise in thefts of Hyundais and Kias is linked to viral videos posted to TikTok and other social media platforms that teach people how to exploit a security weakness to steal the cars.
Jonnifer Neal's Kia was stolen twice in one day — first from in front of her Chicago home and later from outside the mechanic shop where she took it to get fixed.
Neal’s story is one of thousands from Kia and Hyundai owners across the country whose cars were stolen or damaged in the past two years.TikTok challenge resulting in stolen cars, fatalities forces Hyundai, Kia to roll out anti-theft software It’s a phenomenon known as performance crime. Police departments in a dozen cities have said it factors into an increase they’ve seen in juveniles arrested or charged with car thefts.
Morgan Kornfeind was driving to a yoga class in Portland, Oregon, at the end of March when a man in a stolen Kia barreled into her as he drove the wrong way while fleeing police. The 25-year-old suffered lacerations, broken bones and extensive injuries to her leg. She needed surgery and attends multiple medical appointments every week.
But some police departments, victims and the automakers also point the finger at social media platforms. Videos posted on YouTube in recent weeks show people breaking into various cars or using a USB cable to hotwire cars. The company removed the videos when notified by The Associated Press. "There is no evidence any of these challenges ever ‘trended’ on TikTok, and there is a clear documented history that many challenges falsely associated with TikTok pre-date the platform entirely," TikTok spokesperson Ben Rathe said.
TikTok's enforcement report from the last three months of 2022 showed 5% of the videos the company removed were due to dangerous acts and challenges, with 82% removed within 24 hours. While the Kia Challenge is the social media crime trend of the moment, it's not the first. And, experts say, it's not indicative of social media creating a paradigm shift in criminal activity.
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TikTok and other social media trends are thrusting performance crimes into the US spotlightA sharp uptick in thefts of Hyundais and Kias over the past two years has been linked to viral videos posted to TikTok and other social media platforms that teach people how to exploit a security vulnerability to steal the cars.
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TikTok, other social media trends thrust performance crimes into spotlightPolice departments are frazzled, attorneys generals have urged federal intervention and cities and consumers have resorted to lawsuits to hold car companies accountable.
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TikTok and other social media trends are thrusting performance crimes into the U.S. spotlightJonnifer Neal's Kia was stolen twice in one day -- first from in front of her Chicago home and later from outside the mechanic shop where she took it to get fixed.
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TikTok and Other Social Media Trends are Thrusting Performance Crimes Into the US SpotlightUnlike some social media-driven trends that seemingly disappear just as police get a handle on them, the car thefts have continued. Hyundai has tried to work with TikTok and other platforms to remove the videos, but as new ones surface fresh waves of thefts occur, illustrating the lingering effects of dangerous content that gains traction with teens looking for ways to go viral.
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A TikTok ‘Car Theft’ Challenge Is Costing Hyundai $200 MillionPlus: The FBI gets busted abusing a spy tool, an ex-Apple engineer is charged with corporate espionage, and collection of airborne DNA raises new privacy risks.
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