Surrey – I issue an urgent appeal to Meta, X, TikTok, and every social media platform: stop allowing violent criminals to weaponize your networks against the people of Surrey.
A recent shooting at a local business was brazenly filmed and posted online by an individual claiming responsibility. This act was meant not only to harm its direct victim but to terrorize our whole community. That fear is real. 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.
It is intolerable that legitimate news content is blocked on some platforms while videos glorifying violent crime circulate freely. Corporate responsibility and basic decency require immediate, decisive action. Criminal organizations must not be given digital megaphones to recruit, intimidate, or celebrate violence.
I therefore call on every social media company to:
- Permanently ban accounts linked to criminal organizations;
- Remove without delay any content that promotes, supports, or glorifies violent crime; and
- Implement real-time detection and reporting tools so dangerous material is taken down before it spreads.
These steps are neither optional nor aspirational; they are essential. Keeping Surrey safe demands a partnership that spans residents, businesses, law-enforcement agencies, and the technology firms that shape our public square. My Council and I will continue working closely with the Surrey Police Service, RCMP, provincial authorities, and federal partners to protect our city, but social-media platforms must do their part.
Surrey’s strength lies in our unity and our refusal to be intimidated. We will not let criminals dictate how we live or work. I am confident that, together, we will keep Surrey safe, resilient, and unafraid.
Mayor Brenda Locke
City of Surrey
NOTE – After the recent Mission Bridge Suicide attempt that some had filmed, RCMP and AbbyPD asked that those videos be removed as well.
