The mayor of Surrey, B.C., is urging social media platforms to ban criminal content after a video of someone shooting up a restaurant in the city, filmed from inside the attackers' car, was circulated online.
Brenda Locke says she is appealing to companies such as Meta, X and TikTok to stop allowing content from violent criminals to be spread on their platforms, calling such actions a weaponization of social media networks.
Meta and X have not responded to requests for comments, while TikTok provided guidelines that say the platform already doesn't allow violent threats, promotion or incitement of violence or the presence of criminal organizations.
Locke's comments come after shots were fired at Kap's Cafe on Thursday morning, with a video on X showing someone firing a handgun repeatedly at the restaurant linked to prominent Indian comedian and television host Kapil Sharma.
Police say no one was injured in the attack, although staff members were inside the newly opened restaurant at the time.
Police say they are investigating what they called conflicting information online about possible motives behind the shooting.
Locke says the shooting was not only meant to hurt people at the restaurant but also to put fear into the minds of Surrey's residents.
"That fear is real," Locke says. "I felt it first-hand last night while visiting Kap’s Cafe and nearby businesses and speaking with employees and customers who now worry about their safety.
"A place that should have been filled with buzz and excitement about the establishment was instead overtaken by fear and unease."
Locke says content meant to glorify violent crime is too freely circulated on social media, acting as "microphones" for criminal groups to intimidate others and recruit new members.
She says social media platforms should ban accounts linked to such content, as well as implement real-time detection and reporting tools to prevent such videos from spreading.
"These steps are neither optional nor aspirational; they are essential," Locke says. "Keeping Surrey safe demands a partnership that spans residents, businesses, law-enforcement agencies, and the technology firms that shape our public square."
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
