· Social-media companies try to stem cartels’ activity on their sites, but their efforts have been sporadic and uncoordinated. Some platforms tend to remove the grisliest content, and...
· In late 2024 and into 2025, Sinaloa-based socialmedia influencers have been targeted and executed by Mexican cartels operating in the region due to their large followings over multiple platforms to maintain control over territory.
· Socialmediaplatforms’ responses to ISIS and and other extremist groups could offer some lessons for tackling Mexican criminal groups’ online abuses, experts say.
Much like celebrities and influencers, Mexican cartels and other violent gangs have vast socialmedia followings. They use socialmedia to issue threats, announce new campaigns, and even put out hits on people.
In Mexico, socialmedia outlets have struggled to manage criminal groups’ use of their platforms. Mexican syndicates post content that often glorifies breaking the law, promotes violence and extends their own reach while undermining rivals.
· With platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Signal now central to the recruitment process, it is imperative to understand how socialmedia and messaging platforms have transformed organized crime recruitment into a scalable and decentralized process.
Alongside a host of platform governance issues facing technology companies, the exploitation of socialmediaplatforms by terrorist and extremist groups is a major controversy in debates about how companies can combat harmful content online.
