An 11-year-old Greek boy on the island of Rhodes caused a police alert on Monday after he published a video on TikTok in which he claimed he had been abducted and his life was in danger.
Cybercrime police officers in Athens spotted the video and immediately contacted the police in Rhodes.
According to the local newspaper Rodiaki, the boy was quickly identified through his electronic fingerprints.
Police officers, who had already briefed the local prosecutor and received a search warrant, rushed to his family home and cordoned off the area.
They rang the bell at the family home, and were suddenly faced with his mother, who was stunned to see the neighborhood cordoned off by the police.
According to the newspaper, she had no clue about the alarming TikTok post made by her son.
When confronted by police officers, the 11-year-old boy admitted his crime. He apologized and said he had no intention to upset anyone or create a fuss. “I just posted the video for fun,” Rodiaki quotes him as saying.
The newspaper reports that the police are expected to file a case against the family for causing unnecessary alarm and wasting police time.
TikTok videos and mission statement
TikTok videos range from at least 15 seconds induration, but those clips can be strung together to create a video story of up to 60 seconds in length.
Dancing is particularly popular on the app, which makes sense given its musical roots, and so are other movement-based activities like gymnastics, cheerleading, and parkour. Comedy is huge too, though it’s often lip-sync–based comedy.
According to TikTok, its mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy.
“As a global community that thrives on creativity and expression, it’s important that users feel safe and comfortable in this community,” it says.
“Our policies and tools are developed to promote a positive and safe environment for our community, and we trust that users will respect and utilize these measures to keep TikTok fun and welcoming for everyone,” TikTok adds.
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