Social media platforms Facebook and Twitter said on Friday they would take down content involving mass shootings at two New Zealand mosques that killed at least 49 people and wounded more than 20.
A suspected gunman broadcast live footage on Facebook of the attack on one mosque in the city of Christchurch, mirroring the carnage played out in video games, after publishing a “manifesto” in which he denounced immigrants.
The video footage, posted online live as the attack unfolded, appeared to show him driving to one mosque, entering it and shooting randomly at people inside.
READ MORE: New Zealand police search home in Dunedin after mosque shooting
Worshippers, possibly dead or wounded, lay huddled on the floor, the video showed. Reuters was unable to confirm the authenticity of the footage.
“Police alerted us to a video on Facebook shortly after the livestream commenced and we quickly removed both the shooter’s Facebook and Instagram accounts and the video,” Facebook tweeted.
“We’re also removing any praise or support for the crime and the shooter or shooters as soon as we’re aware.”
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New Zealand Shooting: Suspects not on any security watch lists according to New Zealand Police -
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New Zealand shooting: Jacinda Ardern confirms at least 40 killed -
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New Zealand shooting: Police say three men, one woman in custody -
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New Zealand shooting: Police confirm two separate mosques targeted -
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New Zealand prime minister reacts to Christchurch ‘extreme and unprecedented violence’
Twitter said it had “rigorous processes and a dedicated team in place for managing exigent and emergency situations” such as this.
“We also cooperate with law enforcement to facilitate their investigations as required,” it said.
Alphabet Inc’s YouTube said: “Please know we are working vigilantly to remove any violent footage.”
A journalism watchdog group, FRIENDS of Canadian Broadcasting, called on the RCMP to open a probe into whether Facebook and YouTube’s broadcast of the attack constitutes a criminal offence in Canada.
“Facebook and YouTube, as well as other social media platforms, broadcast a suspected hate crime without modification, to billions of people, including millions of Canadians,” executive director Daniel Bernhard said in a statement on Friday.
“It’s not OK to broadcast a hate crime in Canada. By amplifying this massacre and promoting it to Canadians without context, YouTube, Facebook, and other social media companies may have committed crimes of their own.”
READ MORE: Winnipeg mosque-goers shocked, speechless about shooting in New Zealand
Live streaming services have become a central component of social media companies’ growth strategy in recent years, but they are also increasingly exploited by some users to livestream offensive and violent content.
In 2017, a father in Thailand broadcast himself killing his daughter on Facebook Live. After more than a day, and 370,000 views, Facebook removed the video.
That year, a video of a man shooting and killing another in Cleveland also shocked viewers.
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Christchurch shooting: Witnesses recount hiding, running from gunfire -
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Christchurch Shooting: Witness describes seeing dead, injured people inside and outside mosque -
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Christchurch shooting: New Zealander says incident has left her terrified, in shock -
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Witness describes chaos following shooting at mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand -
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Witness describes shooting at Christchurch mosque: ‘I could hear screaming and crying’
With files from Global News
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