Around the world, animals are being harmed so their suffering can be filmed and shared online
Behind viral and “cute” videos, there is often fear, stress, and exploitation created for views, engagement, and sometimes profit
From kittens and puppies to primates and endangered wildlife, animals are staged, mishandled, confined, or abused for the camera
Animals should never suffer for clicks
WHAT IS
ANIMAL CRUELTY?
SMACC defines animal cruelty as:
A range of human behaviours, intentional or unintentional, that cause animals harm or suffering. This harm may be immediate or long-term, physical or psychological.
Cruelty is not always obvious. Accurate identification often requires input from specialists who understand:
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species-specific behaviour
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environmental context
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signs of distress and abnormal coping
Without this expertise, harmful content can be overlooked, misinterpreted, or even promoted.
WHAT IS ANIMAL CRUELTY CONTENT?
Animal cruelty content is:
Any material shared on a social media platform that depicts animal suffering or exploitation and serves no legitimate educational, journalistic, or genuine welfare purpose.
While suffering can sometimes be documented for rescue, awareness, or education, cruelty content is different.
It is created to:
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attract attention
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generate engagement
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entertain
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or produce profit
It has no meaningful benefit for the animal. SMACC consider this a form of exploitation.
HOW CRUELTY APPEARS ONLINE?
Animal cruelty content takes many forms.
To support identification, SMACC has developed a structured classification of:
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cruelty themes
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specific abuses
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content categories
These reflect patterns observed across platforms globally.
The following are common animal cruelty content themes. Click on each theme for more details!
Online animal cruelty is not an isolated incident
It is a growing digital ecosystem where suffering becomes content, and performance drives repetition