A graphic video of a Pennsylvania man accused of beheading his father has sparked a debate about the ability of social media companies to prevent the spread of horrific content. Justin Mohn, 32, has been charged with first-degree murder and abusing a corpse after he beheaded his father, Michael, in their Bucks County home and shared a 14-minute video of the act on YouTube. The video, which drew comparisons to the beheading videos posted by the Islamic State militants, was accessible to anyone on the platform. This incident comes at a time when social media CEOs, including those from Meta and TikTok, were testifying before federal lawmakers about child safety online.

YouTube, owned by Google, did not attend the hearing despite being one of the most popular platforms among teens. The disturbing video from Pennsylvania adds to a list of horrific clips that have been broadcast on social media in recent years, including livestreamed domestic mass shootings and carnages filmed abroad. The video was posted on Tuesday night and remained online for about five hours, raising questions about the effectiveness of social media platforms' moderation practices.

Alix Fraser, director of the Council for Responsible Social Media, criticized the social media companies, stating that it was another example of their failure to protect users. YouTube eventually removed the video, deleted Mohn's channel, and continued tracking and removing any re-uploads. The company claims to use a combination of artificial intelligence and human moderators to monitor its platform, but did not provide details on how the video was initially missed.

Major social media companies rely on automated systems to moderate content, but sometimes these systems fall short when dealing with violent and graphic videos that are new or unusual. In such cases, human moderators become crucial. The Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism, a group established by tech companies, alerted its members about the video approximately 40 minutes after midnight on Wednesday. However, the video had already spread to X platform by Wednesday morning, where it remained for at least seven hours and received 20,000 views.

Experts suggest that social media and the internet have made it easier for individuals to explore extremist ideologies and find communities that reinforce violent ideas. While most social platforms have policies to remove violent and extremist content, the emergence of less closely moderated sites has allowed hateful ideas to thrive unchecked. Jacob Ware, a research fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, emphasizes the need for social media companies to be more vigilant in regulating violent content, as social media has become a frontline for extremism and terrorism.

Nora Benavidez, senior counsel at the media advocacy group Free Press, calls for tech reforms that promote transparency and invest in trust and safety workers. The layoffs at Google, which owns YouTube, have raised concerns about the impact on employees responsible for content moderation. The company has previously announced significant layoffs without providing detailed information.

The video posted by Mohn after the killing featured him espousing conspiracy theories and ranting against the government. It highlights the challenges social media companies face in removing violent content and the need for more serious and committed efforts to combat extremism and terrorism online. The Associated Press, with contributions from journalists in New York and Pennsylvania, has been supported by private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy.