Romania's 'black ambulance' myth removed from TikTok after violent attack

TikTok has removed all content associated with the "black ambulance" myth after Romania's National Audiovisual Council (CNA) requested the platform's intervention. This move comes days after a violent assault on an ambulance in Cluj County, which investigators believe was instigated by rumors circulating on TikTok about ambulances abducting children.

The CNA announced Thursday that TikTok had complied with its request, eliminating all content flagged as related to the "black ambulance" or "black rescue" legend. The platform also extended this measure to all messages tagged with #ambulantaneagra, vowing to monitor related content. The CNA had examined 90 audiovisual messages promoting the myth and unanimously decided to ask TikTok to act against the identified illegal content.

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The subject "black ambulance" is no longer present on the platform.

The CNA's decision and TikTok's swift action followed a violent incident on August 8 in Recea-Cristur, Cluj County. An ambulance crew stopped to pick up a patient when locals, convinced by the TikTok rumors, began filming and harassing them. The situation escalated rapidly, with the ambulance being blocked by two cars and attacked with clubs, axes, and stones. The vehicle's windows were shattered, and the driver sustained a severe eye injury from glass fragments.

Following the attack, police initially detained three suspects aged 18, 22, and 24. Subsequently, seven individuals, ranging from 18 to 44 years old, were placed under pre-trial detention for 30 days. They face charges including destruction, assault, and disturbing public order. The mother of one of the young men involved stated that the rumor about ambulances stealing children had been circulating on TikTok, suggesting fear motivated their actions.

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They hear that they steal children. The ambulance came; there were three children in the village and they gave...