NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Business

Could a horrific livestream happen again? Where Facebook, YouTube & Twitter's response falls short

Chris Keall
By Chris Keall
Technology Editor/Senior Business Writer·NZ Herald·
18 Mar, 2019 12:46 AM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Photo / Getty.

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Photo / Getty.

COMMENT:

My taxi driver - a recent immigrant - looked stunned as I approached his cab on Friday afternoon, around 3.30pm, having just stepped off an international flight.

I looked at him in askance. He said there had been a shooting in Christchurch, but details were sketchy. "I can't believe it's coming here," he said.

After checking news sites, I jumped on Twitter - and soon wished I hadn't. I clicked on a clip, which turned out to be a sickening minute of "highlights" from the killer's bodycam. It had been copied from his livestream to Facebook, which started close to 1.40pm and went for at least 17 minutes - reportedly with people cheering him on in comments.

On Facebook, I saw a raw clip taken soon after police had rammed the suspect's vehicle.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Over the past few days, I've asked Facebook and Twitter and the Google-owned YouTube if they're reassessing their policies around video uploads.

The response has been pitiful.

A Google spokesman told me, "Nothing to announce at this stage."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Facebook sent details of their 24-hour operation to take down and block material related to the mosque massacres, and I can appreciate efforts have been comprehensive on that front. And a Twitter spokesman offered that the footage posted on Friday was in violation of its community guidelines.

But in terms of changes to livestreaming policy - or even if they're considering changes - Facebook and Twitter just won't respond.

It seems they shut the stable door after the horse had bolted. And I fear that, as with other incidents, they'll simply open it again once the media fuss dies down. Even now, it's barely shut, if at all.

Livestreamed video is a relatively new addition to Facebook and Twitter; both survived fine without it. I'm struggling to see why they can't temporarily suspend it when they search for better ways to filter or moderate it.

Discover more

Media and marketing

Spark pulls all advertising from YouTube due to inappropriate kids' content

25 Feb 05:31 PM
Business

Comment: How YouTube became the internet cesspit

26 Feb 04:00 PM
Business

Trump deletes Christchurch mosque massacre tweet

15 Mar 08:40 PM
Business

Facebook 'has blood on its hands': academic

16 Mar 11:25 PM

At the moment, it feels like my kids are at risk of seeing live snuff films on Facebook, just so Mark Zuckerberg can get fractionally richer.

I don't want to see Facebook knocked down. I'm not even one of those who wants to leave Facebook. My neighbour used the social network to arrange a vigil on Sunday, and I'm sure many others did the same. In my suburb, and others, it helps to build a sense of real-life community.

But I would like to see the major social networks acknowledge that they are publishers as much as platforms, and to take on the responsibility that comes with that - both legal and moral.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has heard from Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg and has indicated she wants to talk more with the company.

But Facebook is all too well experienced with deflecting politicians.

I hope Ardern is also looking to Germany, where Facebook's attention has been focused by a new law imposing fines of up to 50 million euros ($82 million) for any site that fails to delete posts featuring hate speech or fake news (our Harmful Digital Communications Act tops out at $200,000).

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

And I hope our lawmakers revisit their recent decision to hose down Privacy Commissioner John Edwards' request for his office - which has been grappling with Facebook - to finally get some real teeth.

On the private sector side, Spark, Vodafone, Vocus and other internet service providers have worked together to block hate sites that host the shooter's clip, or edits.

That's good, but the threat posed by 4Chan and the dark web pales beside the mainstream social media sites' inability to police their content.

So it was good to see Spark - before the Christchurch massacres - decide to pull advertising from YouTube in protest at inappropriate content targeted at children.

As another YouTube skeptic, TVNZ boss Kevin Kenrick put it, "brands are judged by the company they keep". That's something for Google to mull as its YouTube platform continues to host an allegedly anti-Semitic channel promoted by Brenton Tarrant in his livestream.

Post-shooting, Spark boss Simon Moutter has turned up the heat again, tweeting: "Helen Clark is 100% correct in asserting that if the global social media platform companies put as much effort into algorithms for preventing of the spread of hate material as they put into targeted advertising, they could easily solve the problem."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Helen Clark is 100% correct in asserting that if the global social media platform companies put as much effort into algorithms for preventing of the spread of hate material as they put into targeted advertising, they could easily solve the problem.

— Simon Moutter (@simonmoutter) March 15, 2019

And as I type, it seems other large companies are poised to join Spark's YouTube boycott.

Hopefully, our PM will take an equally front-foot approach if she's granted an audience with Facebook's founder.

Though I'm also wary that Ardern is a high-rotate Facebook Live user herself. Like so many politicians, she finds it a great way to reach a mass audience with no mediation. Live video is a hard habit to break, even in these times.

The difference in emphasis has been interesting. Facebook said it blocked 1.5m videos in the 24 hours after the attack - 1.2m of them at the point of upload.

Our PM highlighted the number blocked at upload. In the US, Techcrunch headlined "Facebook failed to block 20% of uploaded New Zealand shooter videos."

And the blocking is still selective. A spokeswoman for YouTube owner Google says, "If a news organisation chooses to show non-graphic portions of the footage in their video, that would not violate our policy and they could appeal our rejection."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

That's not good. Even edited versions risk glamourising the killer, and play into his desire for the masscre to go viral.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Business

Premium
Business

Court to decide Du Val asset seizure orders

16 Jun 08:07 AM
Premium
Shares

Market close: Tourism Holdings jumps 57.5% on buyout offer

16 Jun 05:55 AM
Premium
Business

Little Island, plant-based ice cream company that raised millions, in liquidation

16 Jun 04:00 AM

Audi offers a sporty spin on city driving with the A3 Sportback and S3 Sportback

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Business

Premium
Court to decide Du Val asset seizure orders

Court to decide Du Val asset seizure orders

16 Jun 08:07 AM

Du Val reportedly owes $306m to investors and creditors, according to PwC.

Premium
Market close: Tourism Holdings jumps 57.5% on buyout offer

Market close: Tourism Holdings jumps 57.5% on buyout offer

16 Jun 05:55 AM
Premium
Little Island, plant-based ice cream company that raised millions, in liquidation

Little Island, plant-based ice cream company that raised millions, in liquidation

16 Jun 04:00 AM
Premium
How worried should we be about economic fallout from the Israel-Iran conflict?

How worried should we be about economic fallout from the Israel-Iran conflict?

16 Jun 03:31 AM
Gold demand soars amid global turmoil
sponsored

Gold demand soars amid global turmoil

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP