(71) Periscope used by French teenager to live-stream her own suicide

Link: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/11/french-prosecutors-investigate-woman-live-streams-suicide-twitter-periscope

 

Summarise:

 

French prosecutors have launched an investigation after a 19-year-old woman killed herself by jumping in front of a suburban train in Paris and streamed the act live on Periscope. live on Periscope. The unnamed French woman “sent a text to one of her friends several minutes before her death to make them aware of her intentions”, said the prosecutor Eric Lallement on Wednesday. “She also made statements to internet users via the Periscope application to explain her act.” Footage of the woman’s death, which took place on Tuesday at a station in Egly to the south of Paris, was removed by Periscope but some of the video leading up to it was still available on YouTube. Police said they were informed by someone watching the stream.

Key data/statistical information:

• Periscope is a smartphone application that allows users to stream live video via their Twitter account. The video usually remains accessible for 24 hours.
• “We were alerted around 4.30pm by a Periscope user who was connected with the victim and told us that she was not well,” a police source said.
• Twitter, which bought Periscope in 2015, said it did not comment on individual accounts.
• At least 1000 people were watching the live stream.

What's my view?

This is an example of the effects and impacts of new and digital media. People can use periscope to show shocking things on-line to a group of people that are watching. However, in this case, it can be used to bring awareness of problems that occur around the world as the girl died because her boyfriend abused and raped her which is a problem that occurs globally.