Italian mafia is using TikTok to glamorize criminal life, recruit followers, and experiment with new forms of money laundering. Researchers found striking similarities between Italian and Mexican criminal strategies, including the use of music, luxury imagery, emojis, and viral trends to attract followers and build identities. The authors describe a parallel “communicative ecosystem” where the symbols, sounds, and rituals of organized crime are repackaged as consumable culture. The study analyzed more than 6,000 TikTok posts published between 2023 and 2024.
Source: OCCRP, 2025-10-18; https://www.occrp.org/en/news/italys-mafia-usestiktok-to-rebrand-and-reach-followers