In the wake of the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, social media platforms are facing challenges in moderating the influx of content from leftists praising and glorifying his alleged assassin, Luigi Mangione.
Business Insider reports that as the case of Luigi Mangione, who is accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, continues to unfold, social media platforms are grappling with the challenge of moderating the surge of pro-Mangione content filling up their sites. Platforms like YouTube, Reddit, and Meta’s Threads have taken steps to remove posts that they deem as violating their content policies, which prohibit the glorification or justification of violent acts carried out by extremist, criminal, or terrorist organizations. Breitbart News has previously reported on groupies sending love letters to Mangione, along with a cottage industry in Mangione merchandise ranging from tee-shirts to home decor.
A poster depicting Luigi Mangione hangs outside the New York Hilton Midtown hotel, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
YouTube, in particular, has been swift in its response, permanently removing the accounts of people who overtly praise the murder. YouTube spokesperson Jack Malon stated, “This means we remove content that glorifies or promotes the suspect in the murder of Brian Thompson, as well as content that trivializes his death. This enforcement began in the immediate aftermath of the incident, as part of our standard practice to address content related to violent tragedies.”
Similarly, leftist haven Reddit has banned several subreddits devoted to Mangione, such as r/luigimangione2, although there are still other active subreddits discussing the case. A Reddit spokesperson referred to the platform’s content policy, which “strictly prohibits any content that encourages, glorifies, or calls for violence.”
China’s TikTok, known for its short-form video content, also has a policy against “promoting (including any praise, celebration, or sharing of manifestos) or providing material support” to violent extremists or individuals who cause serial or mass violence. Users have reported that TikTok has removed comments saying “Free Luigi” and some videos about Mangione.
On Mark Zuckerberg’s recently launched Threads platform, users have complained about the removal of posts related to Mangione, such as a post about his astrological sign or a video montage of him set to an Olivia Rodrigo song. Meta’s content policy prohibits the “glorification” of dangerous organizations and individuals, defined as “legitimizing or defending the violent or hateful acts of a designated entity by claiming that those acts have a moral, political, logical or other justification that makes them acceptable or reasonable.”
However, Meta recently updated its dangerous organizations and individuals policy to allow for “more social and political discourse in certain instances including — peace agreements, elections, human rights related issues, news reporting and academic, neutral and condemning discussion — and to ensure users are not unduly penalized for sharing it.”
Leftist echo chamber Bluesky has seemingly had less complaints over the removal of content supporting Mangione’s alleged crimes. As Breitbart News previously reported, the platform has been deluged by requests for censorship and even child pornography since it became a destination for leftist refugees fleeing X/Twitter.
Mangione’s recent charge of first-degree murder “in furtherance of terrorism” may provide clarity for platforms in determining whether to consider him as a single accused murderer or an alleged terrorist when applying their content policies.
Read more at Business Insider here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
