TikTok clip of dangerous driving hit 150,000 views before removal

A TikTok video showing dangerous driving in Ireland attracted 150,000 views before the platform took it down, the Oireachtas committee was told.

Meta disclosed that 127 Irish clips identified after the fatal M9 wrong‑way crash generated roughly 1.5 million views worldwide before enforcement action. Of those, 127 were removed and three were age‑gated to users over 18.

During a three‑hour Oireachtas committee hearing, Labour TD Alan Kelly criticised social‑media firms for failing to supply viewership data earlier, urging that platforms be held criminally liable for illegal or dangerous content.

Meta said enforcement between December 2023 and September 2024 covered eight items of Ireland‑originated dangerous‑driving content on Facebook, Instagram and Threads, which together amassed about 560,000 views before being age‑gated.

TikTok reported 13 proactive escalations to gardaí in 2025 and ten so far this year. The company claimed 83.4 % of illegal or dangerous videos were removed before being viewed, rising to 86.5 % for clips with fewer than ten views, though it could not detail the remaining 13.5 %.

The most‑viewed TikTok video did not feature wrong‑way driving but a speeding car intercut with parked‑car footage; it was removed as a precaution. Google has asked for more time to provide the committee with requested data.

Source: Irish Examiner. Photo: Olivier Bergeron / Pexels.