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The celebrity blogger was hospitalised after allegedly harming himself on a TikTok livestream. Now the platform is reckoning with the consequences.
Last Tuesday, celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton (born Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr.) appeared on a TikTok livestream naked, covered in a red substance that appeared to be blood, and holding what looked like a knife. As viewers watched on in horror, a concerned number called the emergency services who quickly arrived at Hilton’s home and hospitalised him.
Hilton’s family have since confirmed the star is stable and recovering. But how did a platform as big as TikTok allow his broadcast to remain online for so long? Representatives for the social media company are now reckoning with the consequences of what is arguably its biggest failing when it comes to duty of care.
TikTok spokesperson Jamie Favazza told WIRED that the platform’s systems had flagged the livestream within minutes of it going online, but a ‘moderation error’ delayed both the removal of the broadcast and the subsequent blocking of Hilton’s account. TikTok also confirmed it contacted law enforcement shortly after the stream was flagged.
The company would not explain what the moderator error involved, or precisely how long it took to remove the stream. It said the broadcast lasted around fifteen minutes – roughly half the thirty minutes some users had speculated online – and that subsequent livestreams by Hilton were terminated within ninety seconds.
But by then, of course, thousands of people had already seen it.
The Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office received multiple calls about a man livestreaming acts of self-harm on social media, according to Detective Samantha Choon. A crisis response unit and mental-health professionals were dispatched to Hilton’s home. Authorities later confirmed to CNN that he was alone inside and that deputies spoke with family members before de-escalating the situation. Hilton was taken to hospital.
His family said on Wednesday that he was ‘able to communicate.’ In a statement posted to Hilton’s blog, they thanked supporters for their concern and said that the ordeal had been ‘incredibly difficult and emotional,’ adding that they remained hopeful about his condition.
His manager, Dante Rusciolelli, said that Hilton’s team was not in a position to comment on TikTok’s internal policies or moderation decisions. “Our focus remains entirely on Perez’s health and well-being,” he said.
But the episode has also exposed the peculiar vulnerability of livestreaming platforms. With this kind of immediate access comes a huge risk, with the distance between identifying dangerous content and actually stopping it being measured in seconds.
TikTok has always been clear in its stance against violent content, stating that it prohibits anything that shows, promotes or provides instructions for suicide or self-harm, alongside ‘graphic, violent, or disturbing content.’ The platform uses automated detection and human moderators to enforce these rules, but even with technological intervention human responses can easily be delayed when it comes to instant live broadcasting.
The social media platform has also faced criticism over the years for its failure to adequately moderate content that promotes unhealthy behaviors associated with eating disorders and diet culture.
