The TikTok Effect: BBC Three documentary examines impact of platform on real-life crime events - how to watch

A new BBC documentary will examine the impact of the use of TikTok on the real world, and has concluded that the popular social media site “is driving online frenzies that encourage anti-social behaviour”.

The 55 minute documentary will examine how some people are using TikTok to try to get involved with real-life crime events and the consequences of that. Viewers will see recent high profile events such as the Nicola Bulley disappearance in the UK, the Idaho murders in the US, and riots worldwide.

The BBC said that their investigation found that TikTok's algorithm and design means people see videos which wouldn't normally be recommended to them or aren’t from people they directly follow or know - and that, in turn, incentivises them to do unusual things in their own videos on the platform. They added that this way of displaying and viewing content, where TikTok drives disproportionate amounts of engagement to some topics, can lead to frenzies.

The release of the documentary comes just days after it was revealed that shoplifters are using TikTok to share their top tips for theft as independent shop owners called on the government for help in tackling the crime. It also follows on from mass looting on London’s Oxford Street being organised via the platform in August. The incident, which led to several people being arrested, was condemned by both Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Donna Jones, the chairwoman of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners.

So, just what exactly is the TikTok Effect about, when is it on and how can you watch it? Here’s what you need to know.

What is The TikTok Effect about?

The documentary is fronted by Marianna Spring, the BBC’s disinformation correspondent, who spent a year investigating harmful behaviour on TikTok which spilled out into the real-world.

Viewers will see her speak to TikTok users, crime victims and former TikTok employees to expose how extremely high engagement on the social media platform around some topics appears to be creating 'frenzies' linked to behaviour previously seen as unacceptable. 

The synopsis for the programme reads: “What connects amateur sleuths turning up at crime scenes, anti-social behaviour in UK schools and riots in France? The answer, according to a BBC investigation, is that they are all examples of a TikTok 'frenzy'.”

The documentary examines three main events in detail; the disappearance of Nicola Bulley, the murder of four American students and various riots worldwide. Below, we look into what the documentary says about each of them more closely.

The Nicola Bulley disappearance

Mum-of-two Nicola Bulley, aged 45, went missing in January while she was out walking her dog after dropping her children off at school. The search for her lasted for around three weeks and the circumstances of her disappearance had investigators “baffled”. In mid-February, her body was found and an inquest later revealed she had died of drowning.

At the time police were looking for her, however, many TikTok users decided to use the platform to share their theories over what had happened to Bulley, and many people also filmed themselves at the place where she was last seen. The police criticised these people and said they were interfering with the case. A man who posted TikTok videos inside the police cordon on the day her body was found was also arrested.

In the documentary, Spring speaks to a woman called Heather who posted a video which falsely implied Nicola's best friend, Emma White, had posed as the missing woman. She says it received 3.6 million views within 72 hours, but goes on to say she regrets posting this video and has since deleted it.

The BBC also state they have seen emails Heather received from TikTok at the time, encouraging her to keep posting once her speculation had gone viral and applauding her post as a hit.

The Idaho student murders

Four University of Idaho students were fatally stabbed whilst they were sleeping in a house in November 2022. Following the murders, investigators said that they believed the murders were “an isolated attack” with “targeted victims”. A 28-year-old criminology graduate student called Bryan Kohberger was arrested and charged with murdering Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, all aged 20 or 21, in December 2022. Kohberger’s trial date has been set for 2 October 2023.

Spring said that videos she found about the case racked up two billion views from November 2022 to August this year. She added that she saw videos about speculative theories of who committed the murders without any evidence to back them up.

She speaks to the sister of Jack Showalter, dubbed "hoodie guy" by some TikTokkers, who was falsely accused of involvement in the Idaho killings. She condemned the threats and harassment his family received and said: “There were so many victims created through internet sleuth videos.”

Spring also spoke to one of these so-called internet sleuths called Olivia. Olivia, who lives in Florida, flew for more than six hours and filmed at the scene for a week. She did not name any suspects in her videos, but at least one of her videos reached 20 million views. Olivia said: "I felt this need to go out there and dig for answers and see if I can help out in any way.”

The worldwide riots

Riots have happened in numerous places this year - most notably the Paris riots which happened in May. The French president Emmanuel Macron levelled the blame for the disorder at TikTok and Snapchat. 

Jean-Marie Vilain, the mayor of Viry-Châtillon, told Spring that “once the riots started, TikTok became a tool to show, here, this is what I'm capable of doing. Can you do better?" He added that he believes seeing acts of destruction widely shared on TikTok "became the norm" for some people. TikTok users sharing this content who spoke to Spring also said the same, she claims.

What has TikTok said about The TikTok Effect?

A spokesperson for TikTok told the BBC that users "naturally" took more of an interest in stories at "moments of national conversation, which are intensified by 24-hour news reporting". They also pointed out that the BBC has posted on TikTok about many stories like the ones mentioned in the documentary.

They also said that the platform has more than 40,000 "safety professionals" using technology to moderate content, with the "vast majority" of videos with harmful misinformation never receiving a single view. They added: “Prioritising safety is not only the right thing to do, it makes business sense," the spokesperson said. The company also said it collaborates with academics, law enforcement agencies and other experts to improve its processes.

According to TikTok’s own community guidelines, videos “may” be removed from the platform  “if fact-checkers determine content to be false and we deem it to be in violation of our policies”.

When is The TikTok Effect on TV?

The TikTok Effect will air on BBC Three tonight (Thursday 21 September) between 9pm and 9.55pm.

How can I watch The TikTok Effect?

You can watch The TikTok Effect live on BBC Three, or you can watch it at a time to suit yourself on BBC iPlayer.