Social media platform X has been slammed for declaring horror imagery of a fatal accident in Edinburgh acceptable to post.
Images showing the severed head of an accident victim in Edinburgh’s Cowgate were circulated around the world in the wake of the death on Saturday night.
Many Scots complained – online and directly to X – after being appalled at the photographs, that seemed to show a severed head and another of a headless corpse on the street.
But despite the anger and distress caused, X claimed the footage was not in breach of their sensitive media policy.
After complaining to X, owned by global entrepreneur Elon Musk, the platform sent out messages claiming that the content was acceptable.
A message to complainers stated: “Thanks for…using your voice to make X better for everyone. After review, we want to let you know (unidentified twitter user) hasn’t broken our sensitive media rule.
“We allow sensitive content — like consensually produced adult content, graphic imagery and violence — in posts as long as it doesn’t break our sensitive media policy.”
The massage adds: “What can you do? If you don’t want to see sensitive media on X, you can update your sensitive media settings.
“Please report child sexual exploitation and non-consensual nudity separately. And if there’s sexual violence in this post, please report it as violent. We have zero tolerance for those kinds of behaviours.”
One Scot who contacted the Daily Record said her “For You” page on X, which targets content according to previous page views, was packed with disturbing footage.
She said: “I reported endless X posts to Twitter, which were repeatedly popping up on my For You page, following the horrendous fatality on Cowgate.
“I had read the BBC report so the algorithm assumed I wanted to see all the horrendous other content being shared. Just shocking.
“On the BBC news, the police were asking, on behalf of the family, to report if anyone saw the horrific content on social, so I did, as my twitter feed was covered in the sickening content.
“I complained to Twitter and this is their response. It is not considered graphic or gratuitous under their community guidelines.”
She added: “Clearly anything goes, despite their reporting policy options purporting to include gratuitous and sensitive content. It a cess pit.”
The social media activity was so inappropriate that Police Scotland urged online ghouls to stop sending distressing photographs.
A 74-year-old man was struck by a single-decker bus in Edinburgh’s packed Cowgate on Saturday night as horrified revellers looked on.
Police were called about 7.25pm and closed several roads.
Chief inspector Trisha Clark said on Sunday night: “We are aware of videos and images circulating on social media which are causing distress to the deceased’s family.
“We would ask members of the public not to share them out of respect for his family and to report them to the relevant social media platform to prevent further circulation.
“There has been a lot of speculation and I would like to reassure the local community that this was an isolated incident and there is no risk to the wider public. This was a tragic incident. We are investigating a crash.”
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The footage sparked a rash of complaints from X users who were appalled that some would seek to share such material.
One user wrote: “Police are saying to delete these immediately as the poor man’s family are seeing them on social media. If you have an ounce of empathy, take it down now @PoliceScotland.”
Another posted: “Those images shared from the Cowgate, Edinburgh reconfirms for me that the social media age is utterly shameful and the worst of times. How people can mock and use that for fun is abhorrent. How far we have fallen.”
And another said: “You should be ashamed of yourself for sharing this.”
X has been asked to comment.