TikTok may have a 'migrant problem' to solve in US

Social media apps like TikTok have become a key tool for both smugglers and illegal migrants in the US, a report claims. The usage of these apps in such activities has reportedly increased as legal pathways to the US have reduced, adding to increased profits for criminal smuggling groups. As per the report, videos posted by smugglers on TikTok promise safe passage to the US for those without visas. These videos, often featuring migrants trekking through deserts or families passing through gaps in the border wall, provide a glimpse into the operations and narratives of trafficking networks. Smugglers claim that new technologies enable them to adapt to challenges and reach new customers.

In a statement to the news agency Associated Press (AP), Soary, a member of a smuggling network, said “In this line of work, you have to switch tactics,” and that "TikTok goes all over the world."
Soary began working in smuggling at 19 in El Paso, Texas and eventually started connecting people across the Americas with smuggling networks. She, like many other smugglers, used to record videos of migrants speaking to the camera after crossing the border, sending them via WhatsApp as proof to their loved ones that they had arrived safely. Now, she shares those clips on TikTok.
Smugglers like Soary also use social media to promote their services, posting videos of migrants, cash, and border crossings while promising safe passage. Encrypted apps like WhatsApp and Telegram help in negotiations, with tactics like showcasing families to build trust, the report noted
However, these videos are also used for scams and exploitation, as cartels turn to kidnapping and extortion, the report adds.. Smugglers use accounts with names hinting at “safe crossing” and overlay content with northern Mexican music glorifying trafficking.
However, TikTok has denied such usage. The social media platform said that it strictly prohibits human smuggling and reports such content to law enforcement.
According to Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera, a professor at George Mason University, the use of social media for migration surged in 2017-2018, with activists creating large WhatsApp groups to organise migrant caravans. Over time, smugglers infiltrated these chats and expanded to platforms like Facebook and Instagram.