Overview

• Despite some removals and warning labels, footage of the Utah shooting remains easy to find on X, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, with many clips autoplating without consent.
• Tests by the Tech Transparency Project showed a teen-designated Instagram account surfacing the shooting video as the top result with autoplay, while Meta cited labeling lags and said it is age-gating such content.
• YouTube said it is removing some graphic uploads and restricting others to adult users, TikTok said it is taking down close-up videos and scrubbing suggested search terms, and X did not respond to requests for comment.
• X’s Grok chatbot generated false assurances that Kirk had survived, highlighting broader concerns about AI-driven errors as platforms lean more on automation and have fewer human moderators.
• The Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism activated an emergency protocol to limit reuploads, as researchers and safety advocates warned of mental health harms and some Republicans urged companies to take the videos down.