New Zealand attack: Facebook says it has removed 1.5 million videos of Christchurch massacre
Company pulling all edited versions of footage and any ‘praise or support for the crime’
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Facebook has said it removed 1.5 million videos showing the New Zealand mosque attacks in the first 24 hours following the mass shootings.
The social media giant said 1.2 million of the videos – showing footage filmed by the suspected gunman on a body-camera – were blocked as users attempted to upload.
The company made clear it had also been removing any edited versions that do not show graphic content, as well as “any praise or support for the crime” it finds on its platforms.
In a statement, Mia Garlick, spokesperson for Facebook New Zealand, said her company continues to “work around the clock to remove violating content from our site, using a combination of technology and people”.
“In the first 24 hours we removed 1.5 million videos of the attack globally, of which over 1.2 million were blocked at upload.”
She added: “Out of respect for the people affected by this tragedy and the concerns of local authorities, we’re also removing all edited versions of the video that do not show graphic content.”
The suspected gunman was able to live-stream the attacks on Facebook for 17 minutes using an app designed for extreme sports enthusiasts, with copies still being shared on social media hours later.
Facebook and Twitter, as well as YouTube owner Google, were all criticised for allowing the footage to spread rapidly across their platforms in the hours after the mass shootings.
New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern has said she wants to discuss live streaming with Facebook.
Sajid Javid criticised the social media companies for failing to do enough to stop the promotion of violent extremism. “Take some ownership. Enough is enough.”
On Saturday, Sky New Zealand said it had removed Sky News Australia from its platform after segments of the shooter’s video was broadcast by the Australian channel.
The independent New Zealand broadcaster said it pulled the Australian 24-hour news channel from its live feed because it could not be sure the “distressing” footage would not continue to appear.
The death toll from the mosque shootings rose to 50 on Sunday, and police said 50 others had been injured in the attack.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments