"Kirk's killing during a speaking event in Utah last week unleashed a wave of negative commentary about the activist online, ranging from criticism of his conservative views to morbid celebrations of his death. Graphic footage of Kirk's murder also ricocheted across platforms, exposing millions of people to gory images of his final moments. In the hours after the killing, Republican House Representative Anna Paulina Luna urged Meta, X and TikTok to take down videos of Kirk's death, warning that at some point, social media begins to desensitise humanity."
"Utah Governor Spencer Cox, a Republican, blasted social media as a cancer that had played a direct role in every assassination or attempted assassination of recent years. Louisiana Representative Clay Higgins promised to use his influence to mandate an immediate ban for life of every post or commenter that belittled the assassination. Controversy over the role of social media deepened after the chat platform Discord on Monday confirmed that the suspected killer, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, appeared to have taken responsibility for the crime in a message to other users."
Social media platforms that relaxed moderation earlier now face scrutiny after the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. Kirk's killing during a speaking event in Utah unleashed negative commentary ranging from criticism of his views to morbid celebrations, while graphic footage circulated widely. Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna urged Meta, X and TikTok to remove videos, warning of societal desensitisation. Utah Governor Spencer Cox condemned social media as enabling violence, and Representative Clay Higgins sought lifetime bans for posts that belittled the assassination. Discord confirmed messages suggesting the suspected killer claimed responsibility. A Republican-led House committee requested testimony from Discord, Steam, Twitch and Reddit on online radicalisation.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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