New York City Council sues Hyundai and Kia - South Korean company's cars can be stolen using YouTube and TikTok instructions

YouTube, TikTok and other social media platforms regularly feature instructions that allow attackers to steal Hyundai and Kia cars. For this reason, New York City Hall is suing the companies.

Here's What We Know

The statement states that the increase in the number of Hyundai and Kia vehicles being stolen is putting the safety of New Yorkers at risk. The reason is the South Korean companies' refusal to use immobilisers.

Officials are calling on Hyundai and Kia to recall vehicles to address the problem. The companies had earlier paid $200 million to settle a class action lawsuit filed over a series of hijackings from TikTok videos.

The lawsuit noted that since the beginning of the year, 19.3 per cent of the thefts were of Hyundai and Kia vehicles of 2011-2021 and 2015-2021 makes respectively. At the same time, the share of these vehicles is less than 3%. In the four months of 2023, 977 Hyundai and Kia vehicles were stolen in New York, about 7.5 times more than in the same period in 2022.

Source: WSJ