Livestreaming on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube needs radical change

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Originally published March 15, 2019

By Ian Sherr

There’s a lot not to like about Facebook these days. But when one of its core features, livestreaming video, is being used as a tool for terror, simple outrage just isn’t enough.

The latest evidence that live video needs to change came Friday when, before entering a mosque and committing one of the deadliest mass murders in New Zealand history, the accused gunman began a stream on Facebook Live.

As he prepared to carry out his heinous act, he quipped, “Remember, lads, subscribe to PewDiePie.” Then his followers watched for nearly six minutes as he streamed video from the massacre that otherwise could have looked like it came from Call of Duty, Battlefield or any other realistic war simulation game.

It was a shocking reminder that the magical devices tech companies create to give us access to nearly all human knowledge and easy ways to take photos and connect with friends, have a darker, more grisly side.

Technology has always had its pluses and minuses that we take in stride because on the whole, it’s worth it. But now’s the time to consider whether livestreaming in particular may finally be the first Silicon Valley invention that needs radical reform, or to just go away.

“The New Zealand shooter was able to livestream a 17-minute video of his murderous rampage that continues to spread like wildfire online. This is flatly unacceptable,” said Farhana Khera, executive director of civil rights organization Muslim Advocates, in a statement. “Tech companies must take all steps possible to prevent something like this from happening again.”

Of course, livestreaming won’t go away. It’s already ingrained in internet culture as a driving force behind online news services, quiz shows and popular video games like Fortnite.

At a minimum, though, the approach to livestreaming needs to change. Facebook and others like YouTube, Twitter’s Periscope and Amazon’s Twitch, need to treat this technology as the potential tool for mass terror that it is. Otherwise, this whole situation is only going to get worse.

None of the companies offered details when asked if they had plans to prevent violent streams in the future.

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