FOX 5 EXCLUSIVE: TikTok vigilante exposes online cyber-bullies who think they’re anonymous
WASHINGTON - Internet trolls and keyboard warriors have long been a problem on social media. But a former Marine on TikTok is determined to be their worst nightmare.
With nearly three million followers, 'The Great Londini' – as he is known -- says he can expose the identity of almost any cyberbully. He does it with the help of 20 of the top cyber security experts in the world.
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Their goal? To take social media back from the bullies, pedophiles, scammers and trolls.
In an exclusive interview, 'The Great Londini' spoke with Jeannette Reyes to explain his mission.
VIGILANTE
"What I do is I try to make a balance between what people think they can do online and what they should do online," The Great Londini told Jeannette. "So when a person goes online, they make a comment -- a harassing comment, a bullying comment -- their basic perception is that they're anonymous. That they're doing it behind a veil and nobody can find them."
"What if you knew that by making that comment there was a possibility that somebody would know who you were? Would you still make that comment?"
"That's basically what we started to do. We take the worst of the worst of comments online and we try to find a way to hold them accountable. Whether it be through their parents or school district or sometimes depending on the severity their local police department."
TRACK THEIR PROFILE
Using public information available online, 'Londini' says he and his group would gather information on the internet troll. Then they track that person down.
"We don't want to kill a fly with a sledge hammer or we don't want to be the judge, jury and executioner."
"If I was walking through a mall and I saw a child making a comment like 'Hey, all black children should die' or 'Hey, all trans people should die.' and I can see their parent within eye shot. Then I feel it would be my responsibility to tell the parent. But it is in no way my responsibility to do anything to that child or ostracize that child. That's not my job."
"That's kind of the end game – to make it so that when somebody makes a comment – they believe they're anonymous – they know that they're not," he told Jeannette.
"That's what the millions of followers help us do – they make it known that when you see that logo, when you see that name 'Londini' – be careful – maybe remove that comment – because it could come back to bite you."
MESSAGE FOR PARENTS
Even though he tries -- 'The Great Londini' admits he can't be in every corner of the internet all of the time.
"You have to have a plan. A lot of parents are concerned with their kids driving a car or how they act in public. But one of the things we don't ever talk to our children about -- or don't seem to be talking to our children about -- is what the proper way to act on the internet."
"And that goes both ways. What happens when you get bullied – what happens if your child is the one bullying?"
'The Great Londini' has been banned from TikTok but doesn't understand why. "I don't know why we have been banned because none of the reasons have ever aligned with the content. I think it has a lot to do with TikTok -- they don't want the issues pointed out and they want to handle it themselves."
'The Great Londini' -- or 'Leo' as he's often called -- says he gets about 10 million views per week with 3,000 to 4,000 people tagging him on comments left by cyber bullies.
The movement started with the cyber bullying and subsequent suicide of one young boy that 'Leo' knew.
