TikTok scrambles to remove suicide video clips, ban users

TikTok says it's working to remove videos of a man apparently taking his own life and banning users that keep trying to spread clips on popular social media platform.

It's latest example of ongoing struggle by big tech companies to police ir platforms for harmful content amid increasing pressure from regulators.

video was originally livestreamed on Facebook before being circulated on or platforms including TikTok, company said.

It didn't t give more details about video but news reports say it has been circulating on TikTok since Sunday and shows a man shooting himself with a gun.

“Our systems, toger with our moderation teams, have been detecting and blocking se clips for violating our policies against content that displays, praises, glorifies, or promotes suicide," TikTok said in a statement.

“We are banning accounts that repeatedly try to upload clips," company said, adding it appreciated users who reported content.

President Donald Trump has ordered Tiktok’s Chinese owner ByteDance to sell its U.S. operations over concerns about cybersecurity and censorship. platform has become very popular with teens largely because of company's algorithms, which decide what videos users see without first requiring m to follow or users or specify ir preferences.

Facebook said it removed original video last month on day it was streamed and has “used automation techlogy to remove copies and uploads since that time.”

Social media users have been warning ors about clips, saying some have been edited to include shots of cats to trick viewers. Ors are posting screenshot of video's beginning to make people aware of what clips to avoid.

TikTok urged people who were struggling with thoughts of suicide or concerned about someone who is to seek support.