Social media and Social capital. Another potential criminal act E. 🤦♀️
Every time you perceive criticism E, you summon your extensive online following to defend and report people’s profiles on your behalf. Neither BB nor anyone else has ever called upon others to retaliate against you. However, the way E manipulates their audience into becoming an “army” is alarmingly reminiscent of cult like behavior. This kind of manipulation is unsettling, drawing parallels to historical figures like Charles Manson. While I’m not suggesting E will commit heinous acts, the psychological tactics employed - mobilizing followers to execute personal vendettas - mirror the same patterns of control and coercion.
This is not a case of “E and their army versus the people” but rather a reflection of E’s delusional mindset and actions. It’s crucial to recognize this for what it is: the misuse of influence, and social capital. Such behavior is both alarming and dangerous.
One crucial aspect E fails to acknowledge is the stark disparity in social media influence. E wields a platform with over 500,000 TikTok followers, while BB’s combined following across all platforms is only 25,000. Mobilizing such a disproportionate audience to target smaller accounts creates a significant power imbalance, amplifying the harm inflicted on those unable to defend themselves.
Misuse of Social Media Capital and UK Law. Social media capital brings immense responsibility, but its misuse - especially to harm others - may constitute a violation of UK laws. Several legal provisions address these concerns. For example the Malicious Communications Act 1988 and the Communications Act 2003, and/or the Public Order Act 1986 prohibit incitement to hatred or violence. Encouraging followers to target others online could be viewed as incitement, depending on the nature of the harm caused.
If E’s behavior escalates such as inciting their followers to harass or threaten others - reporting the actions to law enforcement and the relevant platform is not only justified, but encouraged. Platforms do have a legal and ethical duty to act under UK regulations.
Ethical Context (this is important) BB has never engaged in discriminatory behavior toward E, whether in terms of transphobia, homophobia, or any other form of prejudice. BB has consistently addressed E’s actions without resorting to hate or personal attacks, keeping the focus on their behavior and its consequences.
E’s actions, including mobilizing followers for targeted harassment, may not only violate ethical norms but also constitute criminal offenses under UK law. Such behavior highlights the need for accountability, both legally and within the frameworks of social media platforms.
All videos in this post, is available on The Observer TikTok account.