Met Police requests to remove drill content from TikTok up 366% from 2020

Requests from the Metropolitan Police to remove UK drill content from TikTok have increased by 366% since 2020, new data reveals.

Obtained as a result of a Freedom of Information Request by DJ Mag, figures show that 64% of content removal requests submitted to the video platform from the Met were drill-related.

In 2022, 89% of the Met’s removal referrals on TikTok were associated with drill whilst in 2021 100% of the requests were surrounding the genre.

Read this next: CPS will review the use of drill as evidence in criminal trials

Manager and producer Kovani, who worked with artists such as K Trap, Niska, Songer, and Midas The Jagaban told DJ Mag: “TikTok is crucial for artist discovery and promotion”.

He added: “This [censorship] is just taking away another opportunity, allowing youths to turn to crime instead of focusing on their music career.”

“Being a part of the drill scene has given us the chance for personal growth and artistic expression,” Kovani said, linking to the success of Dave and Central Cee's no.1 hit ‘Sprinter’.

A representative from TikTok has shared a statement with DJ Mag which according to the publication said that the platform, “accepts removal requests from special police referral units if the reported content also violates their Community Guidelines.”

Read this next: Woosh, the first UK drill book, tells the real story of the demonised genre

The statement adds that: “TikTok welcomes the artistic and creative content that many UK drill artists bring to the platform’s vibrant music community”.

“The Met works closely with social media platforms to identify content we believe could provoke or cause violence,” a spokesperson for the Met Police told DJ Mag. “Following our referral, the social media platforms make their own decision regarding removal of content.”

[Via: DJ Mag]

Becky Buckle is Mixmag's Multimedia Editor, follow her on Twitter