MPS and the music streaming services and social media platforms
Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.22.025822
I note you seek access to the following information:
I write seeking more information regarding the Metropolitan Police's relationship with social media platforms and requests for the removal of drill music videos from social media websites.
Meta has publicised at least one instance in which UK law enforcement requested the removal of a drill video from Instagram:
Please provide the following information:
1. The number of drill music videos the Met has referred for removal from Facebook per year. The number of drill music videos successfully removed from Facebook at the Met's request. Please provide a yearly breakdown for the years 2019-2022 inclusive if possible.
2. The number of drill music videos the Met has referred for removal from Instagram per year. The number of drill music videos successfully removed from Instagram at the Met's request. Please provide a yearly breakdown for the years 2019-2022 inclusive if possible.
3. The number of drill music videos the Met has referred for removal from TikTok per year. The number of drill music videos successfully removed from TikTok at the Met's request. Please provide a yearly breakdown for the years 2019-2022 inclusive if possible.
4. The number of drill music videos the Met has referred for removal from Twitter per year. The number of drill music videos successfully removed from Twitter at the Met's request. Please provide a yearly breakdown for the years 2019-2022 inclusive if possible.
Notes:
• If requests to Facebook and Instagram are combined as requests made to Meta (the parent company of these platforms), and if it is not possible to separate out requests to the individual platforms, then please provide the combined number.
I write seeking more information regarding the Metropolitan Police's relationship with music streaming platforms and requests for the removal of drill music videos from music streaming services.
1. The number of drill songs the Met has referred for removal from Spotify per year, and the number of drill songs successfully removed from Spotify at the Met's request. Please provide a yearly breakdown for the years 2019-2022 inclusive if possible.
2. The number of drill songs the Met has referred for removal from Apple Music per year, and the number of drill songs successfully removed from Apple Music at the Met's request. Please provide a yearly breakdown for the years 2019-2022 inclusive if possible.
3. The number of drill songs the Met has referred for removal from Amazon Music per year, and the number of drill songs successfully removed from Amazon Music at the Met's request. Please provide a yearly breakdown for the years 2019-2022 inclusive if possible.
Decision
I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.
Please find below information pursuant to your request above.
| 2019 | Referrals | Removed | Pending | Denied |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| TikTok | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Spotify | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Apple Music | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Amazon Music | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | Referrals | Removed | Pending | Denied |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| TikTok | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Spotify | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Apple Music | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Amazon Music | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | Referrals | Removed | Pending | Denied |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| TikTok | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Spotify | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Apple Music | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Amazon Music | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | Referrals | Removed | Pending | Denied |
| 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| TikTok | 10 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Spotify | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Apple Music | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Amazon Music | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Please note, the referrals/removals for Instagram and TikTok are not for complete music videos but are for clips from the music videos.