On August 31, 2020, Ronnie McNutt, a 33-year-old US Army Reserve veteran, tragically took his own life during a Facebook livestream. McNutt, who had been struggling with depression and PTSD, began the livestream while intoxicated and holding a rifle. Despite multiple attempts by his friend Joshua Steen to intervene and alert Facebook, the platform did not cut the stream, claiming it did not violate their guidelines at the time. The livestream continued until McNutt's death, which was subsequently captured and shared across various social media platforms, leading to widespread distress and criticism of the platforms' handling of the situation123.

The video of Ronnie McNutt's suicide, initially livestreamed on Facebook, rapidly spread across multiple social media platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Despite efforts to remove the content, the platforms faced significant challenges due to the video being repeatedly re-uploaded by users. TikTok's algorithm, which promotes rapid content dissemination, inadvertently facilitated the video's viral spread, exposing many users, including minors, to the distressing footage135. Facebook's delayed response in removing the livestream and subsequent clips drew heavy criticism, as the video continued to circulate widely before being taken down14. The incident underscored the difficulties social media companies face in moderating harmful content and highlighted the need for more robust and timely intervention mechanisms to prevent the spread of such graphic material135.

The backlash against social media platforms, particularly Facebook, for their slow response in removing the video of Ronnie McNutt's suicide was intense and widespread. Critics argued that Facebook's delayed action, despite being alerted multiple times by viewers, allowed the distressing footage to proliferate across the internet, causing significant harm to viewers, including minors13. The incident highlighted the inadequacies in Facebook's content moderation policies, as the platform initially deemed the video not in violation of its community standards1. TikTok also faced criticism for its algorithm's role in rapidly spreading the video, which was often embedded in otherwise innocuous content to deceive viewers5. The persistent availability of the video on various platforms underscored the need for more effective and immediate intervention strategies to prevent the dissemination of harmful content135.