Just last week, the Michigan State University Police Department sent an email alert warning of attempted motor vehicle thefts across campus to students; all of the incidents involved 2011-2021 Hyundai and Kia vehicles.

“In the last 5 days a pattern has developed in regards to thefts of motor vehicles," the email read. "There have been 3 attempted thefts of a motor vehicle at Ramp 1/Shaw Lane, Shaw Hall Parking Loop and Lot 5/Delta Court."

In addition to the three attempted thefts on campus, MSUPD spokesperson Dana Whyte said there has been a trend in Kia and Hyundai thefts in the Greater Lansing area as well. 

But why the targeting of Kia and Hyundai models? According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a software flaw in Kia and Hyundai vehicles made before 2021 enables car theft with a simple USB cord.

Knowledge of this software flaw grew online following the publication of a YouTube documentary entitled “Kia Boys Documentary (A Story of Teenage Car Theft)," which detailed a group of Milwaukee teenagers who used the vehicle’s accessibility to joyride in stolen cars. 

The video, which was released in spring of 2022, garnered over seven million views on Youtube and spurred a trend in car theft.  

By September of 2022, Kia and Hyundai thefts made up close to half of vehicle thefts in Chicago, according to the Chicago Police Department via USAFacts. In Milwaukee, home to the original ‘Kia Boys’, Kia and Hyundai thefts made up 80% of car thefts in August of 2022. 

Hyundai has since rolled out a free software update, which requires a key to be in the ignition in order for the car to start.

Whyte encourages anyone with a Kia or Hyundai made before 2021 that has not received the software update to contact their dealership and request one before returning to campus.  

“We also see this happening in other cities locally and in mid Michigan, as well," Whyte said. "So we really just wanted to put this message out there to let our community know before they move back into campus."

In addition to the "Kia Boys Documentary," many have blamed TikTok for contributing to the trend by not monitoring videos that contain criminal activity.

One TikTok video from the user @robbierayy, which showed him starting a Kia using only a USB cable, went viral. TikTok has deleted the original video, but not before an abundance of people posted videos of themselves attempting the same stunt.

MSU associate professor of public relations and social media Saleem Alhabash said because TikTok doesn’t distinguish between safe and unsafe information, risky behaviors and criminal activity can swarm users' feeds and even persuade them to participate.   

“The way that the algorithm works, is if you spend too much time on these videos, then unfortunately you’re gonna get more of these videos in your feed,” Alhabash said. “When you see someone else baking or making a salad or you know, stealing a car, that gives you an indicator of the step by step process and it gives you a confidence boost in terms of well, ‘maybe I am able to do this as well.’”

Alhabash said social media platforms tend to create feelings of novelty and deviance among users that cause people who otherwise wouldn’t participate to join in. 

“(Seeing) other people doing it gives you the impression that it is prevalent ... it messes with this social inhibition that we could have in terms of, 'maybe I should not be stealing a car,'" Alhabash said. "But seeing how easy it is due to the technical flaw in certain car models can give people cues that actually they can perform the behavior at little cost and with no repercussions."

When it comes to taking the blame, Alhabash — who is a Kia owner himself — said although the automotive company is to blame, TikTok could have done more to prevent the trend from spreading. 

“The fact that a social media platform has the data to see a trend emerging and instead of taking an ethical stance and removing this content or regulating it, they’re letting it go on and also monetizing it,” he said. “There is a fine line between what is permissible and what constitutes freedom of expression, because when freedom of expression is promoting criminal activity, then I’m not sure we can perceive it as free speech.”