Why fake AI videos of UK urban decline are taking over social media

An AI-generated video shows a crowd of young – mostly black – men, wearing balaclavas and padded jackets, slipping down a water slide into a dirty swimming pool with litter bobbing on the surface. The caption describes the scene as a taxpayer-funded water park in Croydon, England.

It is one of a wave of deepfakes showing often absurd scenes of urban decline, and regularly purporting to be in the same south London neighbourhood. Dozens of copycat accounts have begun producing similar content and collectively they have racked up millions of views across TikTok and Instagram Reels.

These fake videos have become part of a much wider trend – where online influencers and content creators portray Western cities such as London, Manchester, San Francisco or New York as overrun with immigrants and crime.

Read more at BBC News