| Hans-Günter Meyer-Thompson | International
Italy’s Mafia Uses TikTok to Rebrand and Reach Followers
Italy’s Mafia Uses TikTok to Rebrand and Reach Followers
A new study finds Italy’s crime clans are using TikTok to rebrand themselves, turning mafia codes into emojis, viral trends, and livestream “matches”—some even used to launder money.
Italy’s mafia is increasingly moving from silence to spectacle—using TikTok to glamorize criminal life, recruit followers, and experiment with new forms of money laundering. It only takes one emoji to spread a mafia message. (OCCRP – Organized Crime and Corruption Reportung Project, USA, 17.10.2025)
https://www.occrp.org/en/news/italys-mafia-usestiktok-to-rebrand-and-reach-followers