Gratteri: “Mafias advertise themselves on TikTok like companies”

Mafias evolve and use the most advanced technologies for their propaganda and their illicit business.

This is the alarm raised by the Prosecutor of Naples, Nicola Gratteri, on the stage of the WMF – We Make Future in Bologna. From advertising on TikTok to attract young people, to the use of the dark web to purchase large quantities of drugs and even commission murders, criminal organizations act like real companies to maximize profits.

TikTok: The New Stage for Mafia Propaganda

According to Gratteri, the mafias, particularly the Camorra in Italy, have followed a path already traced by the Mexican cartels with the advent of Facebook.

"When Facebook was born, the first mafia that used Facebook to gain prestige and to communicate, were the Mexican cartels that showed themselves rich and powerful with luxury cars, gold watches, lots of money and they sent death messages even to opposing cartels. In Italy, the first mafia that used Facebook was the Camorra: same method as the Mexicans", explained the Prosecutor.

Now, with the movement of the new generations on TikTok, even the mafias have followed the trend. “Because the mafias behave exactly like a company: the mafias, to be efficient, perform and to increase their profits, need advertising”, Gratter underlined

i. The choice falls on young people, who, despite not yet having great economic availability, are the biggest spenders and, consequently, the most sought-after target for advertising, both legal and criminal. “Since young people are that social group that doesn’t have money, but they are the ones who spend the most, companies go on TikTok and mafias go on TikTok, they follow young people. And that’s where they advertise,” Gratteri reiterated.

From Dark Web to Artificial Intelligence: Mafia 4.0

The technological evolution of crime does not stop at social media. Gratteri revealed how the Camorra is now deeply rooted in the dark web. “With this cell phone, by applying software, he is able to buy 2.000 kilos of cocaine while sitting on this chair,” the Prosecutor said, highlighting an ease of action that was unthinkable until a few years ago.

The Prosecutor also criticized the position of the Minister of Justice, Carlo Nordio, regarding wiretapping.

"The minister Nordius when he says that a lot is spent on wiretaps, that we need to go back to shadowing… But if I tell you that in 2025 a mafia can order 2000 kilos of cocaine, can order a murder on the dark web, can buy a person’s body, can buy millions of bitcoins, are you talking to me about shadowing? The monster is changing and quickly,” Gratteri insisted, underlining how traditional investigative tools are no longer sufficient in the face of such advanced criminality.

Gratteri's alarm also extends to artificial intelligence (AI). "The mafias are starting to take an interest in artificial intelligence. And to use it," he warned. AI would be used for "load coverage and for movements around the world," making it even more difficult to identify illicit activities.

Upon his arrival in Naples, the Prosecutor added, “I was struck by this Camorra so technologically advanced, capable of entering the dark web and paying hackers to steal data.”

Gratteri's words paint a disturbing picture of an organised crime that not only adapts, but anticipates and exploits technological innovations to expand its power and its business, posing new challenges to law enforcement and justice.