Surrey, B.C. – Mayor Brenda Locke has issued an urgent public appeal to major social media platforms—including Meta, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok—demanding they take immediate action to block and remove criminal content following a disturbing shooting incident in Surrey.
The appeal comes after a recent shooting at a local business was brazenly filmed and shared online by an individual claiming responsibility. The video, intended to intimidate and spread fear, quickly circulated on social media, prompting concern from residents, business owners, and city officials.
“This act was meant not only to harm its direct victim but to terrorize our whole community,” said Mayor Locke in a statement released Friday, July 11. “That fear is real. I felt it first-hand last night while visiting Kap’s Café and nearby businesses and speaking with employees and customers who now worry about their safety.”
The mayor expressed deep concern that legitimate news content is often blocked on social media, while videos glorifying violence, gang activity, and intimidation remain accessible. She called on tech companies to take “immediate, decisive action” to prevent their platforms from being weaponized by criminals.
Mayor Locke is urging all social media platforms to permanently ban accounts linked to criminal organizations, to remove without delay any content promoting or glorifying violent crime, and to implement real-time detection and takedown tools that can stop dangerous content from spreading before it causes harm.
“These steps are not optional or aspirational—they are essential,” Locke said. “Keeping Surrey safe requires cooperation not just from law enforcement and government, but also from the tech companies who now control so much of the public square.”
She reaffirmed that the City of Surrey, along with the Surrey Police Service, RCMP, provincial, and federal authorities, will continue to do everything possible to protect residents and businesses. However, she said, social media companies must also take responsibility for how their platforms are being used.
“Surrey’s strength lies in our unity and our refusal to be intimidated. We will not let criminals dictate how we live or work,” Mayor Locke concluded. “I am confident that, together, we will keep Surrey safe, strong, and resilient.”
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