Tens of thousands of Kia and Hyundai cars were stolen because of the TikTok Challenge
Tens of thousands of Kia and Hyundai cars were stolen because of the TikTok Challenge
The media has been covering quite extensively the epidemic of car thefts from South Korean brands Kia and Hyundai. Surprisingly, the car thefts started on social networks, where videos with detailed descriptions of the theft technology began to appear.
The vast majority of these “instructional” videos were posted by teenagers. In them, they often film themselves at the moment of stealing other people’s cars. After a short time, the thefts turned into challenges, and the geography of the thefts spread almost all over the United States.
Teenage car thieves joined together in a “club” called the Kia Boys, membership in which can be confirmed by posting a video of appropriate content. The thefts had nothing to do with money or lust for profit. The teenagers simply drove around in the “stolen cars” and drank alcohol in them. Often they were involved in serious accidents. One of them was caught and arrested just after the accident. It remains to be understood why these particular brands of cars have become so popular with car thieves.
The popularity can be explained quite simply – companies sought to save money and did not equip their cars with modern and effective means and security systems. In the U.S., the law does not prohibit the sale of cars without an immobilizer, although in neighboring Canada such a ban exists. To steal a Kia or Hyundai car, it is enough to break out the window and partially disassemble the steering column. Then start it up with any USB-A connector and drive away, leaving the owner bewildered.
New York authorities sued Kia and Hyundai and won. The companies had to pay about $200 million to victims of the thefts. Several other American cities also demanded compensation. Now car brands actively invest in safety and intend if not to exclude the possibility of car theft, then to complicate it noticeably. It is not only free software updates, but also security kits that users can buy for their cars.
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