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Content warning: This<\/span> article discusses self-harm.<\/em><\/p>\n On Tuesday night,<\/span> the gossip blogger Perez Hilton<\/a>, aka Mario Lavandeira Jr., was hospitalized<\/a> after showing up on a TikTok<\/a> livestream naked, covered in a red fluid that looked like blood, and wielding what appeared to be a knife.<\/p>\n The stream\u2014which TikTok claims lasted around 15 minutes\u2014prompted concern from horrified viewers, who immediately contacted the police. But it also raised questions about how TikTok could have allowed the stream<\/a> to continue for so long without intervention.<\/p>\n TikTok spokesperson Jamie Favazza told WIRED via email that TikTok\u2019s automated moderation systems flagged the livestream minutes after it started, but a \u201cmoderator error\u201d caused a delay in its removal as well as the account\u2019s subsequent ban. Favazza also shared that TikTok contacted law enforcement shortly after the livestream was flagged.<\/p>\n The platform did not respond to follow-up questions regarding the nature of this moderator error or exactly how long the error delayed the removal of the livestream.<\/p>\n During Lavandeira\u2019s stream, the Miami-Dade County Sheriff\u2019s Office received \u201cmultiple calls regarding an individual who was livestreaming acts of self-harm on social media,\u201d dispatching a crisis response unit and mental health professionals to his home, according to Samantha Choon, a detective with the sheriff\u2019s office. A public information officer for the sheriff\u2019s office separately confirmed to WIRED over the phone that the individual in question was Lavandeira.<\/p>\n TikTok\u2019s official content guidelines prohibit<\/a> \u201ccontent that shows, promotes, or provides instructions for suicide or self-harm\u201d as well as \u201cgraphic, violent, or disturbing content.\u201d The platform has said<\/a> that it uses a \u201ccombination\u201d of automated systems and human moderation to screen for such content. The company entered into a new ownership structure in January, with a newly formed joint venture assuming responsibility for content moderation and data security in the US.<\/p>\n Yet following news that Lavandeira was hospitalized, many on social media questioned why the platform left the livestream up<\/a> for long enough that thousands of viewers saw it, given its content guidelines. Some speculated that the platform left the stream up for 30 minutes or more before it banned the account. Favazza denied this to WIRED, saying the stream was up for \u201chalf\u201d that time and that Perez\u2019s subsequent streams were cut within 90 seconds.<\/p>\n Nonetheless, this is not the first time that TikTok, as well as livestreaming platforms in general, have been accused of failing to properly moderate content featuring suicide or self-harm. In 2020, The Intercept reported that a young Brazilian man had livestreamed his own suicide<\/a> on the platform. Later that year, TikTok also struggled to remove graphic clips<\/a> of the final moments of Ronnie McNutt, who went viral after taking his own life on Facebook Live.<\/p>\n In response to a request for comment from WIRED, Dante Rusciolelli, Lavandeira’s manager and the CEO of Golden Artists Entertainment, said Lavandeira’s team was \u201cnot in a position to comment on TikTok\u2019s internal policies, moderation decisions, or its communications with law enforcement.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOur focus remains entirely on Perez\u2019s health and well-being,\u201d Rusciolelli added via email. \u201cWe appreciate the concern surrounding this situation and respectfully ask that his privacy be honored while he receives the care and support he needs.\u201d<\/p>\n Additional reporting by Manisha Krishnan.<\/em><\/p>\n If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of self-harm or suicide, call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 for support.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n