Since Sunday afternoon, TikTok has been trying to stop the spread of a video showing a man committing suicide with a gun.
The video begins with a man with a gray beard sitting in front of his desk. At first, everything seems normal and calm, but then it appears in the TikTok For You, which automatically shows content based on a person’s interests, leading many users of the app to accidentally the clip. The company tried to prevent the video from being released by banning accounts of people who tried to upload it multiple times.
"Our systems automatically detect and flag these videos for violating our policies against content that depicts, praises, glorifies, or promotes suicide," a company spokesperson said.
The incident highlights a major weakness in TikTok’s algorithm. While all social networks have had some degree of trouble policing their platforms, TikTok’s recommendation engine makes it difficult for the company to prevent content like this from spreading. The app’s community has tried to protect itself by posting content warnings, telling fans to avoid the video if it appears in their feed. Users have also shared the video on Twitter and Instagram, and it was originally released via Facebook Live.
«We block accounts that repeatedly attempt to upload excerpts and appreciate our community members who have reported content and warned others not to watch, interact with, or share such videos on any platform out of respect for the individual and their family.»
According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), approximately 45,000 Americans die by suicide each year, and over 100,000 worldwide.
