Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton’s disturbing TikTok live video on Tuesday night shook the internet to the core. It also flagged many important questions regarding the standards of social media content moderation.
Hilton appeared to harm himself live on TikTok in a grotesque video where he was seen naked and covered in blood from the wounds he sustained in what appeared to be an act of self-harm. Police responded at the residence in Miami-Dade County, Florida where the incident happened, after receiving multiple calls from concerned viewers who were left disturbed by the video.
The Sheriff’s Office said in an initial statement that they have reached to residence after receiving “multiple calls” and decided to tactically disengage while closely monitoring. Later, they confirmed Hilton was transported to a hospital. In a statement on Wednesday, Hilton’s family said he is “receiving medical care.”
As Hilton recovers from what reports described as a “psychotic break,” attention is turning towards TikTok and the role of the platform in timely content moderation. Over the last 24 hours, the platform has faced criticism over the delay in removing the video.
TikTok Responds Amid Perez Hilton Live Video Row
TikTok has come out and acknowledged that there was indeed a delay in removing the video, which led to it spreading like wildfire. Speaking to WIRE, a spokesperson for TikTok attributed the delay to an error in its content moderation systems.
In an email to WIRED, TikTok spokesperson Jamie Favazza said that the automated content moderation system that the platform had flagged the video in the first few minutes of its total 15 minutes of run time. The platform failed to take down the content due to what Favazza described as a “moderator error” but added that they informed law enforcement about it immediately after the stream ended.
According to the platform’s content moderation guidelines, “content that shows, promotes, or provides instructions for suicide or self-harm” and “graphic, violent, or disturbing content” are not allowed on the platform. TikTok did not provide any further details about the “moderator error” that kept the video on the platform for almost an hour after the livestream ended.
What Perez Hilton’s Family Said
Perez Hilton’s family and representatives released a health update on his website. No details regarding the episode he experienced. It was only revealed that 48-year-old is still in the hospital and is “receiving medical care.”
“Many of you have reached out with concern for Perez, and we are incredibly grateful for the overwhelming outpouring of love, support, and prayers,” it read. “We can confirm that Perez is receiving medical care, and our family’s focus right now is on his well-being.
“We kindly ask that you respect Perez’s privacy, as well as the privacy of his family, during this difficult time. If and when we are able to share any updates, we will do so with everyone as soon as we can. Thank you for your compassion, understanding, and continued support.”
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger or considering suicide, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
