Home / Crime and Justice / TikTok Cartel Recruitment: Coded Language Evades Censors
TikTok Cartel Recruitment: Coded Language Evades Censors
6 May
Summary
- CJNG uses coded language on TikTok to avoid detection.
- Network of 100 TikTok accounts promoted the cartel.
- Recruitment attempts may lead to private, less moderated spaces.
A network of approximately 100 TikTok accounts has been identified as promoting the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), a powerful Mexican drug cartel. These accounts utilize coded language, slang, music, and emojis to circumvent social media platform moderation, demonstrating how criminal organizations adapt to policing efforts. The group's propaganda efforts include showcasing armed convoys and referencing compensation and locations, potentially as subtle recruitment tactics.
Researchers note the use of phrases like "four letters" and emoji shorthand, such as "NG" for "new generation," alongside imagery tied to the cartel's former leader. This coded communication is designed to evade detection while signaling allegiance to insiders. Such tactics mirror previous observations of criminal groups using platforms like Snapchat for human smuggling and other networks for promoting illicit products.
Social media platforms actively work to dismantle criminal networks, but the evolving nature of coded language and iconography presents a constant challenge. Extremist and criminal organizations frequently leverage mainstream platforms to appeal to prospective members before directing them to more private, less moderated online spaces, such as WhatsApp groups, for further engagement.
