Many Internet users have seen the horrifying images of the murder of American influencer Charlie Kirk. Often unwittingly. How do large platforms moderate the diffusion of violent content? And above all, how can we protect yourself?
What are we talking about?
If you’ve been going on social networks since Wednesday, you’ve probably come across explicit Videos of Charlie Kirk’s murder. The death of the conservative polemicist was not even confirmed yet that images from the precise moment when a bullet reached him already toured the web and was viewed millions of times. Some people were exposed to the sequence involuntarily. Friday, the governor of Utah, Spencer Cox, qualified the social networks of “cancer”, because they had allowed the dissemination of these images. “It’s not good for us,” he said, recommending citizens to take a break from their electronic devices. Another elected representative republican directly called the leaders of X and Meta, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, to remove the videos. “Social networks are starting to desensitize humanity,” said Anna Paulina Luna.
Why do algorithms offer violent videos?
Several factors explain why a publication is put forward on social networks. The algorithms valued the contents likely to become viral, which arouse a strong reaction, especially if it is negative. Death filmed live from a known personality meets these criteria perfectly. And once the machine is launched, difficult to stop it. Before being reported and possibly withdrawn, a violent publication can be relayed by thousands of accounts, often automated. “Faced with this, moderation is very average,” said Alexandre Coutant, professor in the UQAM social and public communication department. “Fifty thousand accounts can broadcast the same video,” he illustrates. It would be impossible to supervise everything, or we should completely rethink what the Internet is. »»
Photo Amy King, provided by Agency France-Presse
Screenshot of a video showing Charlie Kirk Answer audience questions a few minutes before his death
Is there still moderation of the content broadcast online?
Most large web platforms have policies that prohibit or limit the dissemination of explicit images. They can add a warning or to withdraw a publication that would infringe its regulations. However, this is a major logistical challenge. “Most of what is withdrawn is a decision of artificial intelligence, but it is possible to bypass (controls), for example using other keywords,” explains Emmanuelle Parent, director general of the Center for online emotional intelligence, who is interested in the impact of digital on the well-being of users, especially young people. Large platforms also use content moderation companies that hire humans, often located abroad. But some publications will always succeed in passing between the meshes of the net. “” The scale is enormous. We have created platforms that we are not able to control, ”observes Mme Parent.
Can we avoid violent publications ourselves?
“There is no perfect solution to protect yourself against this kind of content on an individual scale, unfortunately,” replies Emmanuelle Parent. It still gives some basic advice, such as reporting problematic publications and blocking the accounts that share them. In certain situations, it may even be wise to put His phone aside for a few hours. Above all, it is necessary to put pressure on large companies like Meta and Tiktok so that they more moderate content on their platforms. Otherwise, “companies have no interest in doing so,” observes Alexandre Coutant.
What to do not to stay marked if we saw these images?
If you have been shaken by the images, talk to those around you. “People need to evacuate, understand, reassure themselves,” explains the president of the Order of Psychologists of Quebec, the DD Christine Grou. “Normally, the disorder dissipates after a few days, a few weeks,” she says. The same principle applies to the youngest. If your child was exposed unwittingly to the videos showing the assassination of Charlie Kirk, ask him what he understood and remind him of the protective factors, in particular the exceptional nature of the event. “The child, especially if he is younger, will wonder if it can happen to a family member,” observes the DD Grou. Abundant and immediate access to online traumatic events is a “new reality”, she recalls. “The worst thing to do is to look in a loop and that the brain encodes that there is only that in the landscape. Let’s be informed, but let’s not overexpose. »»
