Florida leaders urge social media caution as Hamas uploads graphic hostage videos
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida leaders urged caution when using social media accounts as Hamas terrorists share “brutal footage” of murders and hostages taken from Israel “begging for their lives.”
“We are receiving word that Hamas terrorists are intending to livestream and have already been uploading brutal footage of the murders they are carrying out as well as videos of hostages begging for their lives, some to the personal social media accounts of the victims,” Florida Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna said.
Luna urged parents to have their children delete or temporarily deactivate social media, “especially TikTok and Facebook.”
“These images and videos are extremely graphic and have long term psychological impacts,” Luna continued. “Parents are strongly advised to follow this guidance and monitor their children’s social media in the coming days.”
Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott called on social media platforms to “aggressively take down any such posts, stop the transfer of any financial support to terrorists, and remove the accounts of any terrorist, group or individual sharing this content immediately.”
The senator went on to say that social media companies “MUST take action” and said the platforms have an “obligation to stop these terrorists from distributing posts and containing violence and murder collecting financial support for their terror operations.”
“This content must be immediately removed and all associated accounts be permanently banned,” Scott said.
“Anyone financially supporting these terrorists, which is against federal law, must be immediately reported to authorities,” he continued. “These videos are terrorism, plain and simple, meant to instill fear and create chaos in the global community—and no company should give terrorism a voice on their platform.”
War broke out over the weekend amid Hamas’ latest terror attacks on Israel, Iran purportedly behind the planning of them. Hamas, which is backed by Shi’ite Iran, has already contributed to the deaths of hundreds of individuals, including some reports of U.S. citizens.
“The unprovoked attack by Iran-backed Hamas terrorists in Israel is horrific and unthinkable,” Scott said. “The brutality of these monsters is pure evil and they want to extend the reach of their terror by sharing it on social media. That cannot be allowed to happen.”
“Israelis have been murdered and wounded in the thousands,” Scott continued. “At least 11 Americans are dead. We’ve seen reports of babies savagely beheaded. Children shot in front of their parents. The elderly dragged through the streets. Now Iran-backed Hamas wants to inflict more terror by sharing videos of hostages begging for their lives in Gaza.”
