TikTok has threatened to remove users who spread misinformation about Nicola Bulley after the social media app was criticised for allowing conspiracy theories to spread on its platform during the search for the mother-of-two.
The social media app said it would “take action” against people who violated its community guidelines when posting content about the case of Ms Bulley.
Police confirmed on Monday that a body found in the river around 1 mile from where Ms Bulley was last seen was that of the missing 45-year-old.
Ms Bulley had been missing for more than three weeks and amateur detectives, online sleuths and social media influencers descended on St Michael’s on Wyre to look for her.
They posted content that included misinformation and baseless claims about Ms Bulley, some of which were viewed thousands of times.
Dal Babu, the former Met Police superintendent, said one baseless claim he saw online was that the search for Ms Bulley was not real and that “actors” had been brought in to stage the search operation.
Mr Babu on Monday also accused social media companies of creating a “wild west” of misinformation and needed to be held to account for “what they’ve done.”
Responding to the criticism, TikTok said in a statement: “Our thoughts are with Ms Bulley’s family and friends at this difficult time. We have mobilised resources to monitor the evolving conversation about this case.
“We are taking action against violations of our Community Guidelines, including removing content and accounts, and limiting the reach of some content by making it ineligible for recommendation.”
Twitter, Meta and Google have faced similar criticism but are yet to respond.
Experts said police investigating the disappearance of Ms Bulley faced “serious questions” over why it took more than three weeks to find her body in the River Wyre.
Speaking at the force’s HQ, Assistant Chief Constable Peter Lawson did confirm the body had been identified as that of Ms Bulley - and described the investigation as "hugely complex and highly emotional".
He did not take questions from the media present.
Meanwhile, the family of Ms Bulley questioned the role of the press during the investigation and accused the media of "misquoting and vilifying" Ms Bulley’s partner, relatives and friends.
"It saddens us to think that one day we will have to explain to them (Ms Bulley’s children) that the press and members of the public accused their dad of wrongdoing, misquoted and vilified friends and family," their statement said.
"This is absolutely appalling, they have to be held accountable. This cannot happen to another family.
"Do the press and other media channels and so-called professionals not know when to stop? These are our lives and our children’s lives."
They also criticised Sky News and ITV for contacting them after the body was discovered "when we expressly asked for privacy".
Stewart Purvis, a former senior executive at Ofcom and former editor-in-chief of ITN, told LBC: "I think the whole issue of how you approach the families of those who have suffered, who are suffering from the disappearance and possibly the death of a loved one, is a continuing issue in the media."
It is understood Sky News had open two-way dialogue with Ms Bulley’s family and the police since she was reported missing.
