Mark Zuckerberg has repeatedly said that live video is the future of Facebook, but what if that future is terrifying and full of violence?
What happens when one of the largest proponents of live video struggles to manage its darker side?
Reports that the sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl was broadcast on Facebook Live and watched by upwards of 40 people earlier this week have rightfully shocked many, and brought to mind a similarly disturbing incident from earlier in the year.
Individuals posting about acts of violence on the social media platform is nothing new, but since the launch of Facebook Live, the company has faced a particularly difficult challenge: How to best respond to violence on the site when it's happening in real time.
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And if Zuckerberg is correct in his predictions, the scale of the problem is only going to get worse.
"Most of the content 10 years ago was text, and then photos, and now it's quickly becoming videos," he noted at the 2016 Mobile World Congress. "I just think that we're going to be in a world a few years from now where the vast majority of the content that people consume online will be video."
Is Facebook doomed to play catch up?
With live video charging ahead, how can Facebook identify and stop those who would abuse its streaming service?
Read also: Paedophiles find haven on Facebook
Mashable reached out to Facebook directly about this week's sexual assault and its plan to prevent people from livestreaming acts of violence in the future.
The company's response reiterated its established position on the matter.
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