Live-streamed suicides continue to spread online, platforms struggle to block content

The disturbing trend of suicides being broadcast live on social media platforms continues, with recent incidents highlighting the struggle to contain the spread of such graphic content. In one case, a young Japanese woman died during a TikTok live stream in Seoul, and parts of the video are still being shared online.

“

Suicide attempt and related videos can encourage imitation, so platform response systems need to be improved.

This follows a similar incident in April 2023 where a teenage girl died during an Instagram live broadcast. Despite government promises to strengthen monitoring of suicide-related information, the speed of online dissemination often outpaces removal efforts. Both the recent Seoul incident and a previous case in Gwangju involved deaths occurring during live broadcasts, with police being alerted by viewers or acquaintances.

“

The platform immediately stopped the stream upon recognizing the dangerous situation and promptly reported it to the Korean investigative authorities.

Platforms like TikTok have stated they took immediate action to stop the stream and notified authorities. However, new regulations set to be implemented in November require platforms to immediately block content related to suicide attempts. Critics argue that these measures are reactive and lack strong enforcement, with insufficient penalties for non-compliance.

“

Platforms should be equipped with technology to detect and block suicide or self-harm scenes in real-time, and face penalties like fines if they fail to comply.

Experts are urging platforms to invest in technology, such as AI, capable of real-time detection and blocking of self-harm content. The Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to introduce a system where AI can quickly identify harmful content and request its removal from platforms, potentially by the end of the year. This push for technological solutions aims to address the persistent challenge of preventing the virality of harmful content online.

“

The Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to introduce a system where AI can quickly identify harmful information and request platforms to delete it, possibly by the end of this year.