Lawmakers call to remove Charlie Kirk assassination videos

Being a conservative activist Charlie Kirk Shot killed during a speech event at Utah Valley University, video of the attack spread almost immediately on social media. Within minutes, the graphic clip appeared on Tiktok, X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

Legislators quickly asked these platforms to take action. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) publicly called on Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Tiktok to delete the video. Luna wrote on X: “He has a family, young children, and no one should be forced to relive the tragedy online.” Rep. Lauren Boebert (r-colo.) responded to the request, saying, “I totally agree! I never want to see it again!! I hate that I totally see it.”

Tiktok, Meta and YouTube outlined their answers while X remained silent, and this anger quickly shifted the spotlight to the platform itself.

Sign up for my free online report
Get my best technical tips, emergency security alerts and exclusive deals delivered directly to your inbox. Plus, you’ll be visiting my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide now – Free when joining me Cyber​​​​​​​​guy.com communication

Charlie Kirk

Tiktok responds with demolition and safeguards

Tiktok confirmed that it is deleting videos of Charlie Kirk’s assassination and outlines steps to prevent further spread of harmful clips. The company also issued a statement to Cyberguy, expressing condolences to Kirk’s family. A Tiktok spokesman said: “We are saddened by Charlie Kirk’s assassination and extend our deepest condolences to his wife Erika, their two children, their family and friends. These horrible acts of violence have no place in our society. We remain committed to actively implementing our community guidelines to prevent people from implementing more plans, making the scope more cautiously, and thus leaving people idle.

In addition to the statement, Tiktok also points to a broader community guidelines. The platform explains that everything is first reviewed by an automatic audit tool before it appears in the feed. The system helps capture a large amount of content that may violate rules or require age restrictions.

Tiktok bans bloody, terrible or extremely violent clips. The company also restricts content that displays human or animal blood, extreme combat or graphic footage. Tiktok applies safeguards such as age limits, warning screens, or “opt-in” tags when recordings may be in the public interest. These measures are designed to reduce exposure, especially for younger users.

Even if the video is related to big news events, teen accounts cannot access graphics or potentially frustrating content. Clips marked by this rule are blocked by the “For You” feed and are not recommended for underage users.

Tiktok also stressed that it removed positions for people who harass victims or degenerate tragedy. Statements that devalue or deny experiences, such as claiming that the victim is “deserved.” The platform also bans threats of violence, inciting violence or promoting criminal activities.

Watch: Bipartisan MP group expresses shock, sadness after Charlie Kirk’s killing

Meta deletes Honor content and limits Charlie Kirk video shooting to over 18

Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads, confirmed its violent and graphic content policies apply to videos of Charlie Kirk’s assassination. A meta spokesperson said in a statement to the Internet Gu:

“We are deleting content that honors or supports this tragic event or perpetrator, while applying warning screens to videos of the incident and limiting their views to those 18 years and older.”

All clips of the shooting are now marked with the “Sensitive” warning label. These videos are already over 18 years old and cannot appear in the feed of minor accounts.

Meta’s methods include warning screens, sensitivity filters, and age limits. When users encounter sensitive videos, they must choose to watch the material before. The system is designed to protect people from accidentally seeing graphic images.

In this case, video is permitted in the public interest exception, but is limited only.

Anti-Trump voice praises Charlie Kirk

YouTube limits Charlie Kirk to shoot videos and boost news sources

YouTube confirmed that it is removing graphic videos of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, while also improving authoritative news coverage of the tragedy. “Our Hearts are with our family after the tragic death of Charlie Kirk. We are closely monitoring our platform and highlighting the promotion of news content in searches and suggestions to help people stay informed,” the company said in a statement.

YouTube explains that it is removing highly graphic videos of attacks, especially those that lack sufficient background. Clips that stay online may be subject to age restrictions, meaning they are not visible to anyone under the age of 18. Some of these videos also include a word-inspect warning screen that requires the user to click Continue before the video is played.

The company added that it will continue to monitor the platform and may remove other content that violates its community guidelines. YouTube’s policies specifically prohibit reveling in or ridicule content that can identify a person’s death or serious injury.

Click here to get the Fox News app

X Faces Criticism of Charlie Kirk’s Policy on Video Shooting

On X (formerly Twitter), shoot videos are available as long as they follow the platform’s graphic media policy. X requires that such clips be marked appropriately, rather than displaying them significantly instead of “Excessive blood.”

However, users report that videos from their feeds can be seen without consent. Some say that the autoplay feature exposes them to the video before it can be turned off. The researchers also noted that the edit was soon reposted and continued to be spread throughout the platform.

X allows users to share graphics media if the graphics media is correctly marked. The platform prohibits content that honors violence, incites harm or celebrates attacks. Nevertheless, videos may remain online if they are considered newsworthy or related to current events.

The platform warns users that content marked “sensitive” should not be automatically displayed. But in fact, researchers observed that Kirk video surfaced through an algorithmic feed, even if people didn’t search for it.

X did not respond to our request for comment before posting.

Social Media Gatekeeper Failed to Shoot Video with Charlie Kirk

For decades, news organizations have made editorial decisions about whether to publish violent images, often avoiding explicit content to protect audiences. Nowadays, this gatekeeper has been reduced.

Smartphones and instant uploads mean that graphic events can be spread before any newsroom responds. Social media algorithms often expand the most shocking editing, thus keeping viewers safe from videos nearly impossible.

Legislators increase pressure on social media control

Luna and Boebert’s statements highlight the growing political pressure on tech companies to better enforce content rules. The researchers also warn that the unorganized cycle of graphic violence can insensitive audiences and in some cases encourage extremist responses.

At the same time, the main platforms have reduced the human temperance team and relied more on AI detection systems. Experts say these systems often miss context, leaving dangerous gaps in law enforcement.

Parents’ safety tips to protect their children from graphic videos

Parents worry that their children encounter violent editing can take positive steps:

• Enable Parental Control: iOS and Android provide built-in Screen time and content filters This limits what apps and media can access. You can also take advantage of new protections launched by major platforms.
• Use application-specific settings: Tiktok, YouTube, and Instagram all offer parental restriction tools, including content filters, restricted modes, and family pairing. The teenager safety features On Instagram and Facebook, we aim to provide more tools for parents and teenagers to stay safe online. With Tiktok’s family pairing, parents can see or adjust over 20 settings for teenagers. X does not currently offer the same parental control, which makes it harder for parents to limit what their children see on the platform.
• Turn off autoplay: Prevent videos from automatically playing, thus reducing the chance of graphic editing without warnings.
• Public conversation: Explain why certain content is harmful and encourage your child to see unsettling things coming to you.
• Continue to participate: Check out app activity regularly and check which accounts your child is following.

These steps won’t stop everything, but in a world where disturbing videos can spread quickly, they provide more control for families.

Kurt’s key points

Calls to remove Charlie Kirk’s death video highlight the challenge of regulating violence online. The platform promises guarantee, but in reality, graphics clips usually respond faster than audit systems. As social media continues to replace traditional gatekeepers, companies and users are responsible for online circulation. Adjusting your settings and sharing content with caution may make a difference.

Should the platform be needed to remove all graphic videos of real-world violence, or should users decide what they see? By writing to us, let us know Cyber​​​​​​​guy.com.

Sign up for my free online report
Get my best technical tips, emergency security alerts and exclusive deals delivered directly to your inbox. Plus, you’ll be visiting my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide now – Free when joining me Cyber​​​​​​​​guy.com communication.

Copyright 2025 Cyber​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Guy.com. all rights reserved.