The U.S. military plans to livestream the Dec. 3 execution by firing squad of Nidal Hasan, the former Army psychiatrist convicted of killing 13 people in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting.
If carried out as planned, death penalty experts said it would mark the first known broadcast or livestream of a lawful execution.
Executions are generally conducted behind prison walls, and internet platforms and governments have spent years trying to limit the circulation of violent execution footage.
Has a lawful execution ever been livestreamed or broadcast to the public before?
Death penalty experts consulted by Reuters said they were unaware of any previous lawful execution that had been livestreamed or broadcast to a public audience.
Execution footage has occasionally emerged after the event. The hanging of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in 2006, for example, was seen around the world after official and unofficial recordings circulated online and through broadcasters, though it was not shown live.
Broadcasts and livestreams today are common for court proceedings, parliamentary debates and other state functions, but not for judicial executions.
How unusual is this compared with modern execution practices around the world?
Public executions have become rare worldwide, with most countries that retain the death penalty carrying out executions away from public view.
According to Amnesty International, public executions recorded in recent years have largely been concentrated in Iran and Taliban-run Afghanistan.
The execution would also be notable in the United States. Public executions largely disappeared during the 20th century, and death penalty experts cited by Reuters said the last legally sanctioned public execution took place in 1936.
Hasan’s execution would be the first carried out by firing squad by the U.S. military since the 1945 execution of Eddie Slovik, who was convicted of desertion during World War II.
How has the internet changed the circulation of execution footage?
The internet has transformed execution imagery from a local event into content capable of reaching global audiences within minutes.
Militant groups, such as the Islamic State, became notorious for producing professionally edited execution videos that were distributed online as propaganda and recruitment tools.
Criminal organisations, including Mexican drug cartels, have also circulated violent footage to intimidate rivals and project power.
The ability of users to rapidly copy, repost and redistribute content has made it more difficult for governments and technology companies to control the spread of such material.
What has been the reaction from governments and tech companies?
Governments and technology companies have generally moved in the opposite direction, attempting to reduce rather than expand access to graphic execution footage.
Major social media platforms have spent years removing execution videos linked to extremist organisations and other violent groups.
One of the first public governmental reactions came from New Zealand, whose chief censor said authorities would have little practical ability to prevent residents from accessing a livestream while it was taking place.
Livestreams pose particular challenges for platforms because footage can be viewed, copied and redistributed before moderation systems can intervene.
Even countries that still conduct public executions have often restricted filming and broadcast rights. Saudi Arabia historically carried out public executions before spectators, but recording them was prohibited, and such public executions had largely ceased by 2019.
