Singapore — Police are now investigating two teenage boys who participated in a global TikTok challenge called “Devious Licks” by reportedly removing a public sign.
The challenge, which has seen at least 13 students in the United States facing criminal charges, encourages students to film themselves stealing or vandalising school property and then uploading the clips to TikTok, which is one of the most popular social media sites among teens today.
Elsewhere, it is also known as “Diabolical Licks” or “Dastardly Licks.”
The Singapore Police Force released a press statement on Tuesday evening (Sept 21) saying it was aware that there are posts circulating on social media that show people removing government property as part of the TikTok challenge.
The police added that preliminary investigations show the first incident occurred on Sunday (Sept 19).
“The police received a report showing an image of a male teenager holding onto a signage of Kaki Bukit MRT station belonging to the Land Transport Authority. The said image was posted on various social media platforms.”
The sign that was taken had been mounted onto the frame of the sheltered walkway leading to the station.
The identity of the boy, 15, was determined via camera images, afterward, the police retrieved the signage from his residence.
The second incident also occurred on Sept 19, at around 9:40 pm.
“The police received a report showing a video of a male teenager holding onto a signage belonging to the National Environment Agency. The said video was posted on TikTok,” wrote SPF.
“He had allegedly removed the signage, which was originally affixed into the ground along Jalan Songket, for his video and returned it to its original position after filming.
The identity of the boy, 14, was also determined through follow-up investigations.
Further investigations are being carried out, SPF said, and in its statement remind the public that “such acts involving the removal of government property without the written authority of an authorised officer or representative of the Government constitute an offence of vandalism punishable under Section 3 of the Vandalism Act.”
Those found guilty of such offences could be jailed for as long as three years, fined as much as $2,000, and receive a caning of between three to eight strokes.
“Members of the public are reminded to abide by our laws, and not to participate in acts or viral online trends that constitute a criminal offence. Those who break the law will be dealt with firmly,” the police added.
According to a recent report, the name of the challenge “is based on an Urban Dictionary definition, which claims that a ‘lick’ is lingo for a ‘successful type of theft which results in an acceptable, impressive and rewarding payday for the protagonist.’”
TikTok told People that it has taken down content related to the “Devious Licks” challenge and that it discourages behaviour which “promotes or enables criminal activities.”
Users who search for “Devious Licks” on TikTok are now receiving an error message that says, “No results found. This phrase may be associated with behaviour or content that violates our guidelines. Promoting a safe and positive experience is TikTok’s top priority.” /TISG