When the Public Sees Animal Cruelty Online: What to Do (and What Not to Do)

A collaborative feature between the Social Media Animal Cruelty Coalition (SMACC) and Animal Welfare Advocacy, Research, and Education (AWARE), one of our member organizations based in South Korea.

In early 2025, AWARE conducted a groundbreaking nationwide survey in South Korea to understand how people experience and respond to animal cruelty content on social media. The findings shed light on a critical question that goes far beyond Korea: how do ordinary users react when cruelty goes viral?

What the Public Sees

The survey, conducted across 17 cities and provinces, revealed that 4 in 10 Korean adults (41.8%) had come across videos they perceived as animal cruelty on social media platforms. Exposure was highest among younger people, more than half of respondents in their 20s said they had seen such content, and among pet owners, who were nearly twice as likely to encounter it as non-owners.

This finding aligns with what SMACC sees globally: as animal-related content grows in popularity, so does the visibility of cruelty disguised as entertainment or “training.”

How People React

Of those who encountered cruelty online, nearly half admitted they watched the video to the end, often out of shock, disbelief, or the instinct to “see what happens.” When it came to responding, 42% left negative feedback, such as dislikes or angry comments, while 21% reported the content to the platform. Yet 38% took no action, and only 6% reported it to an animal protection organization.

These numbers reflect a dilemma SMACC has long raised: even negative engagement boosts visibility. Each view, comment, or share, even those meant to condemn cruelty, can help push such content further up algorithms, inadvertently rewarding abusers and platforms profiting from engagement.

Why Awareness Matters

The AWARE report echoes SMACC’s message: users must be aware of how algorithms work and respond wisely when encountering abuse.

That’s why SMACC promotes the “Be Aware. Don’t Engage. Report.” approach:

1. Be Aware: recognize cruelty, even when it’s disguised as “funny” or “training” content.

2. Don’t Engage: avoid commenting or sharing, as it increases visibility and profit for abusers.

3. Report: Use platform tools to flag content and inform local NGOs or authorities.

   
   

AWARE’s findings also highlight the urgent need for policy reform. Although South Korea’s Animal Protection Act prohibits the online posting of cruelty videos, penalties remain light, fines of up to KRW 3 million.

Recent legislative proposals seek to increase penalties to up to one year in prison or KRW 10 million, and to strengthen online platform responsibility under the Information and Communications Network Act. Both measures are pending in the National Assembly. 

Beyond legal change, the report stresses education, especially for children and adolescents, as essential. Early exposure to violent content can cause long-term harm, and teaching empathy and digital literacy can help prevent cycles of cruelty from spreading online.

SMACC and AWARE share a common goal: ensuring that animal cruelty online is neither normalized nor ignored. Through data, research, and cross-sector collaboration, we can build a safer digital space for both animals and people.

Read the full AWARE report (April 2025):Public Survey on Animal Cruelty Content in Social Media

Story featured by the Social Media Animal Cruelty Coalition (SMACC), based on reporting and materials from AWARE.