Shooting of Influencer Evokes Strong Social Media Responses
Videos of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk being fatally shot circulated widely on social media platforms, prompting actions and policies from various companies regarding the moderation of such content, reports 24brussels.
Among the responses, Bluesky stated, “Glorifying violence or harm violates Bluesky’s Community Guidelines. We review reports and take action on content that celebrates harm against anyone. Violence has no place in healthy public discourse, and we’re committed to fostering healthy, open conversations.”
Meta’s spokesperson, Francis Brennan, referred inquiries to the company’s policies on violent content, noting, “We remove the most graphic content and add warning labels to other types of content so that people are aware it may be sensitive before they click through. We restrict the ability for younger users to see content that may not be suitable or age-appropriate for them.”
Reddit’s spokesperson, Gina Antonini, emphasized that their site-wide rules prohibit any content that encourages, glorifies, or incites violence, adding that the platform is actively monitoring and removing violating content and using hashing to prevent re-uploads.
Charlie Kirk’s tragic death has drawn condolences from platforms, with YouTube spokesperson Jack Malon stating, “Our hearts are with Charlie Kirk’s family following his tragic death. We are closely monitoring our platform and prominently elevating news content on the homepage, in search and in recommendations to help people stay informed.” He also mentioned that YouTube will remove “some graphic content” related to Kirk’s death, especially if it lacks sufficient context.
Discord, TikTok, and X have not responded to requests for comment at this time.
Update, September 10th: Added statement from a Reddit spokesperson.
