Social media’s growing role in crime
Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and others have become havens for gangsters, scammers, and con artists.
Photo: Unsplash/dole777
Dan Corder onCapeTalk Afternoon Drive interviews Caryn Dolley, an author and journalist.
Listen below:
In her Daily Maverick article, Caryn Dolley explores the growing intersection of social media, crime, and law enforcement.
She highlights the increasing presence of social media platforms in criminal activities, highlighting that even the South African Parliament recently referenced them during discussions on the country’s contentious crime intelligence sector.
Dolley argues that while social media can be a powerful tool for good, it is also exploited by criminals.
Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and others have become havens for gangsters, scammers, and con artists, some of whom craft carefully curated online personas, while others are more brazen about their illicit activities.
"It's really creating the illusion or perception of wealth and glamour, when that's really not the case."
- Caryn Dolley, Author & Journalist
One example is the case of Joel Adrian Valencia, a US man sentenced to 10 years in prison for his involvement in a drug trafficking scheme.
Dolley explains that Valencia used Instagram to promote his crimes, showing off his wealth and illicit activities to a wide audience.
In the South African context, she says that the influence of gang culture has also spilled into online spaces, with gang-related symbols and flags visible on certain social media profiles.
This, she argues, is especially concerning because it is often blatantly obvious, further normalising and promoting criminal behaviour.
However, Dolley also points out a potential positive aspect of this phenomenon.
The very same social media content that criminals use to publicise their activities can be leveraged by law enforcement as evidence in criminal investigations and court cases, potentially aiding in arrests and prosecutions.
"What we see on social media could be used by police officers."
- Caryn Dolley, Author & Journalist
Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.