Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

Instagram 'wrong' to take down drill music video

Instagram 'wrong' to take down drill music video

The owner of Instagram has been told it should not have removed a drill music video.

Meta took down the video by Chinx (OS) after being contacted by the London Metropolitan Police, which raised concerns about gang violence.

But Meta's independent Oversight Board has ruled there was insufficient evidence to support that decision.

It said the case highlighted the "haphazard and opaque" way authorities made such requests.

In January this year an Instagram account which described itself as promoting British music posted about a new drill track called Secrets Not Safe.

Shortly afterwards, Meta says, Scotland Yard contacted it to raise concerns about "gang violence" relating to the song.

Meta conducted its own review and decided the track contained a "veiled threat" linked to a shooting in 2017 and so removed it from Instagram.

It then referred the case to its independent system of appeals, the Oversight Board, which was set up and is funded by Meta. It is staffed by academics and lawyers, with the remit of scrutinising and questioning the tech giant's actions.


Overpoliced?


The board has now concluded the decision to remove the song from Instagram was wrong because the threat of violence was not credible. It says the track must be reinstated.

It also says there are serious concerns that drill - which is particularly popular among young black Britons - is being overpoliced.

Chinx (OS) told the BBC he was pleased the video would be restored and had not understood why it had been taken down in the first place.

He said he did "not believe" that his music would incite violence.

"I can see why people think it's very violent but I feel like it's an expression," he said.

"I think people are involved in a certain lifestyle prior to them releasing drill music.

"I don't think you release drill music then find yourself in gang activities - I feel it's the other way around."

The board called on Meta to create a "globally consistent system" for content removal requests from official bodies - emphasising "not every piece of content that law enforcement would prefer to have taken down should be taken down".

"It is therefore critical that Meta evaluates these requests independently, particularly when they relate to artistic expression from individuals in minority or marginalised groups for whom the risk of cultural bias against their content is acute."


Broader concerns


As part of its investigation, Meta's Oversight Board said it filed multiple freedom of information requests with the Met Police.

It said it found the force had filed 286 requests with social media and streaming companies to take down or review posts about drill music in the 12 months from June 2021, and that 255 of those had resulted in the removal of content.

Over the same period, it had not made a single request to remove any other music genre, the force said.

A Meta spokesperson said: "We do not remove content simply because law enforcement requests it - we take action if content is found to violate our policies or local law.

"As part of our robust review process, we assess whether a request is consistent with internationally-recognized standards on human rights, including due process, privacy, free expression and the rule of law."

The Metropolitan Police has been approached for comment.

Steven Keogh, a former detective with the Metropolitan Police, told the BBC that in his experience of investigating gang-related murders in London "all bar none" had "some connection" to drill tracks.

"The police aren't going to take down all drill music, it's not a war against drill music," he said.

"It's specific intelligence about specific videos that they think could lead to problems."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
×