Twitch, Discord, And Other Social Media Companies To Be Investigated For Role In Buffalo Shooting
On May 14, a gunman killed 10 people and wounded three others in a racist attack at a Buffalo grocery store. The suspect livestreamed the attack through Twitch--a platform now under investigation by the New York Attorney General Office. It's not the only social media company under scrutiny: Platforms including 4chan, 8chan, Discord, and unnamed others will also be investigated for the role they played in «amplifying this attack.»
«My office is launching investigations into the social media companies that the Buffalo shooter used to plan, promote, and stream his terror attack,» New York Attorney General Letitia James announced. «We are investigating Twitch, 4chan, 8chan, and Discord, among others, all platforms that the shooter used to amplify this attack.»
James added, «The terror attack in Buffalo has once again revealed the depths and danger of the online forums that spread and promote hate. The fact that an individual can post detailed plans to commit such an act of hate without consequence, and then stream it for the world to see is bone-chilling and unfathomable.»
In the wake of the Buffalo shooting, the role of social media platforms in disseminating videos of live mass shootings and these platforms' moderation policies have been questioned. The Christchurch shooter in 2019 also streamed his attack live and chose Facebook as the platform, and it's this very video that the Buffalo shooter said he took inspiration from.
The attacker found the Christchurch shooting video on 4chan and used Discord to link to his Twitch livestream--reasons why both Discord and 4chan have been named in the New York Attorney General's investigation. The New York AG is also pursuing an investigation because of reports made about the
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