Vigilantes who use social media platforms as a tool to catfish potential criminals operate in a gray area that raises both ethical and legal concerns. On one hand, these individuals can play a role in exposing and apprehending criminals, particularly those involved in predatory behaviors, such as online grooming or child exploitation. On the other hand, their actions can lead to significant risks, including wrongful accusations, potential interference with law enforcement investigations, and potential violations of legal rights.

One of the primary advantages of vigilantes using social media to catfish criminals is their ability to uncover illicit activities that might otherwise go unnoticed. In the podcast, PAP Squad’s intent is to find and catch predatory criminals. The group of young men is mimicking other groups such as “Perverted-Justice” which gained notoriety in the early 2000s for its efforts to catch online predators by posing as minors in chat rooms. Their work led to numerous arrests and heightened public awareness about the dangers of online predators. The group’s collaboration with law enforcement in sting operations demonstrated how vigilantes can successfully identify and help apprehend criminals (Scheeres, 2004).

However, the approach taken by vigilantes also comes with significant risk. One major issue is the potential for error and the harm that can result from false accusations. In 2014, a British man named Bijan Ebrahimi was falsely accused of being a pedophile by his neighbors, who then took justice into their own hands. Despite Ebrahimi being innocent, he was brutally murdered by a vigilante who believed he was protecting the community. And in the podcast the characters are “[protecting] those kids, yo”. As the podcast continues the young men act not in accordance with the law, physically attacking the alleged pedophile and inflicting serious injury to the man. His injuries are trivial to the PAP squad because they believed he was a pedophile, and it turns out the squad was right: the  man was a criminal. However, the real life case of Ebrhim highlights the dangers of vigilantism, particularly when individuals act on misinformation or without proper legal oversight (Morris, 2013). 

Another concern is the potential for vigilantes to interfere with ongoing law enforcement investigations. Vigilante actions can sometimes complicate or even jeopardize legal proceedings. For instance, in some cases, evidence collected by vigilantes may be inadmissible in court due to the methods used to obtain it, thereby hindering rather than helping the pursuit of justice. Additionally, there is the risk that vigilantes may provoke or escalate dangerous situations, putting themselves and others at risk.

The legal implications of vigilantism also cannot be ignored. Vigilantes often operate outside the bounds of the law, potentially violating the rights of those they target, including privacy rights and the right to a fair trial. The lack of accountability and oversight in these operations can lead to abuses of power and unjust outcomes. While their intentions may be to protect the public, the methods used by vigilantes can undermine the principles of justice and due process.

In summary, while vigilantes using social media to catfish potential criminals may achieve some successes in exposing and apprehending offenders, as is the case in our podcast, the PAP squad’s actions are fraught with ethical, legal, and safety concerns. The potential for wrongful accusations, interference with law enforcement, and violations of legal rights suggest that such practices should be approached with extreme caution. Ultimately, the responsibility for investigating and prosecuting crimes should remain with trained law enforcement professionals who are accountable for their actions. Even though some law enforcement’s actions are not fast or adequate enough, still the best practice is to leave apprehending criminals to trained professionals.

Other potential risks highlighted in this episode:

-Online fraud (related selling merch or accepting donations)

-Addiction to online fame / abuse of notoriety

–Doxing

-Prevention of pedophiles getting help before they harm a real child

-In some jurisdictions, groups or individuals may be held criminally liable for sending/publishing what could be construed as child sex abuse material

References

Morris, S. (28 November 2013). Vigilante jailed for killing man he mistakenly thought was pedophile. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/nov/28/vigilante-lee-james-life-murdering-bijan-ebrahimi

Scheeres, J. (19 March 2004). They wanted to teach him a lesson. Wired. https://www.wired.com/2004/03/they-wanted-to-teach-him-a-lesson/