Social media platforms are racing to remove disturbing videos of a man purportedly taking his own life, prompting a warning from some NSW schools.

Some schools have today urged parents to enforce a 24-hour social media ban for their children.

TikTok says it’s trying to remove clips of the incident.

It was live-streamed on Facebook before users uploaded it to TikTok.

Act for Kids executive director Stephen Beckett told Jim Wilson it beggars belief they were unable to remove it.

“If [TikTok] can’t keep our kids safe they shouldn’t be marketing their product to our kids.”

Jim said it’s a disgrace.

“This video should have been removed hours ago.”

Click PLAY below to hear the full interview

Full statement from Lee Hunter, General Manager of TikTok Australia and New Zealand:

On Sunday night clips of a suicide that had originally been livestreamed on Facebook circulated on other platforms, including TikTok. 

This content is both distressing and a clear violation of our Community Guidelines and we have acted quickly and aggressively to detect and remove videos, and take action against accounts responsible for re-posting the content, through a mix of machine learning models and human moderation teams. We appreciate our community members who’ve reported content and warned others against watching, engaging, or sharing such videos on any platform out of respect for the person and their family. 

We have also updated related hashtags to surface a public service announcement with resources for where people can seek help, or access our Safety Centre. 

We understand and share the concerns expressed by the Prime Minister, eSafety Commissioner and the wider community that materials like this are made and shared. We are working closely with local policymakers and relevant organisations to keep them informed. We understand the serious responsibility that we have, along with all platforms, to effectively address harmful content and we want to reiterate that the safety of our users is our utmost priority. 

If anyone in our community is struggling with thoughts of self-harm or concerned about someone who is, we encourage them to seek support, and we provide access to hotlines and support resources directly from our app and in our Safety Centre.”

If you are struggling, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Image: Getty