Australia's eSafety Commissioner has called on social media platforms to take stronger action to protect children from graphic footage of the fatal shooting of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. Kirk, an ally of US President Donald Trump, was shot dead while speaking at Utah Valley University on Thursday.
The incident was filmed from multiple angles and widely shared on platforms including TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram. The eSafety Commission expressed concern that some clips were published without content warnings or with inadequate blurring, exposing children and others to distressing material.
TikTok confirmed it had removed or restricted such videos, stating that gory or extremely violent content is banned, and footage showing human blood is restricted to adults. The company expressed condolences to Kirk's family. Other platforms did not respond to requests for comment.
X's policy allows graphic content if properly labelled and not prominently displayed, while Meta says it removes the most graphic content and adds warning labels to sensitive material. However, Guardian Australia observed videos on Facebook and Instagram without any warnings.
The eSafety Commission advised the public not to share the footage and to report it for removal. It is assessing the material for further action, noting that platforms have a responsibility to protect users from illegal or harmful content.
