The trend of videos on social networks forcing people to commit crimes is not new. But the newspaper points out that videos on TikTok teaching how to exploit a vulnerability using USB cables in vehicles manufactured by Hyundai and Kia have caused a wave of thefts and a dozen lawsuits in the US. Washington post.
Prince George County Police in Maryland claims 617 Hyundai and Kia vehicles were stolen in all of 2022. In January 2023 alone, records show at least 108 vehicles were stolen, about 18% of the previous year’s total. Therefore, the suspicion of the police falls on the videos on the social network.
In one of the cases, plaintiffs point out that the safety of Asian automakers’ cars is so easy to circumvent, to the point where “11-year-olds steal, drive and post their abuse on social media.” The complaint states that a TikTok video has been viewed more than 33 million times.
USB cable for car power
In January, Prince George police officers found a USB charging cable on the driver’s side floorboard of a vehicle that was stolen by a 17-year-old teenager. Detectives believe it was used to start the stolen car. Cases extend to other US regions such as Los Angeles (California) and Chicago (Illions).
The videos show how to connect a USB cable to the steering column of some Kia and Hyundai vehicles. Since cars do not have immobilizer technology, this allows cars to be started without a key.
Both Hyundai and Kia announced plans to address the vulnerability and fix the vehicle’s vulnerability at no cost to owners. “TikTok will not tolerate this behavior that violates our policies and will be removed if found on our platform,” TikTok said in a statement.
Source: Tec Mundo
