Social Media Vultures Are ‘Ruthlessly Exploiting’ the Most Vulnerable for Views – One Council Has Had Enough

The streets of Newcastle have become a battleground for the soul of social media, where vulnerable people are being ruthlessly exploited for clicks and views. A city council has decided to take a stand against what it sees as a form of bullying or harassing behavior.

Filming in public spaces is not necessarily illegal, but the targeting and manipulation of individuals for entertainment value crosses a line. Videos of people struggling with addiction, mental health issues, or being arrested are presented as entertainment for the masses, accompanied by ridicule and disdain in the comment sections. This is not just exploitation – it’s voyeurism on steroids.

The city council has issued community protection warnings to two self-styled “auditors” who have been exploiting vulnerable individuals on TikTok and Meta platforms. For too long, these companies have allowed such videos to spread while claiming to crack down on harassment. The potential prosecution of some of these individuals is a welcome development.

However, the real issue here goes beyond individual cases or specific platforms. It’s about the culture of exploitation that has taken hold online. People’s private lives are being treated as public entertainment, and the vulnerable are being preyed upon for clicks and views. The lines between what’s acceptable and what’s not are becoming increasingly blurred.

Professor Chara Bakalis notes that current legislation is struggling to keep up with the changing nature of harm caused by technology. This problem requires a fundamental shift in how we think about consent, privacy, and the impact of our actions online. The public backlash against Meta’s AI smart glasses has highlighted just how far we’ve strayed from basic human decency.

Lawmakers are under pressure to take action, but there are still questions about the specifics of new legislation. Will it cover filming on smart glasses specifically? Or will it tackle covert filming more broadly? Prof Bakalis believes that new laws are “almost inevitable,” but the details remain unclear.

In the meantime, cities like Newcastle are taking matters into their own hands. The Liberal Democrats have launched a campaign demanding stronger safeguards on smart glasses, including a ban on convicted sex offenders being able to purchase them. This is just one step in what needs to be a wider effort to reclaim our public spaces and protect the vulnerable.

Ultimately, this is not just about social media or technology – it’s about us. It’s about how we treat each other, how we value human dignity, and how we define what’s acceptable in a digital age. The exploitation paradox is a symptom of a deeper problem: our willingness to sacrifice empathy for entertainment.