A Melbourne teen has been banned from Jetstar, Qantas and Virgin after posting a terrorist “joke” on TikTok and I simply cannot stress enough just how much you absolutely should not do this.
According to the Australian Federal Police, a 19-year-old girl posted a “joke” on TikTok about committing a terrorist attack while boarding a Melbourne to Queensland flight last week.
For obvious security and privacy reasons, the AFP and Queensland Police refused to reveal the identity of the girl, the flight number or the airport in which she was travelling to.
Obviously, terrorism threats are of utmost importance, so the AFP and state police forces immediately treated the joke as a serious threat.
“The video prompted multiple calls to the National Security Hotline, and a rapid response from AFP, Victoria Police and Queensland Police Service,” the AFP said in a statement.
“Regardless of intent, jokes about committing a terrorist attack and airline security are never a laughing matter and may have unintended consequences.”
You’d think it goes without saying at this point, but apparently, it doesn’t so I’ll just reiterate it: terrorist jokes aren’t funny. *Especially* not when you broadcast them on the internet, where people could and probably should take them seriously.
Not only does this cause a ridiculous amount of unnecessary panic, but it’s also a huge waste of resources that are better saved for investigating actual terrorist threats and keeping the public safe.
As a result of the joke, the 19-year-old girl has been banned from all Jetstar, Qantas and Virgin flights for the foreseeable future. However, it is unclear if she will face criminal charges for the video.
