Twitter (TWTR), Facebook (FB) 'Autoplay' Video Feature Criticized Following Virginia TV Crew Shooting

Some Facebook (Nasdaq: FB) and Twitter (NYSE: TWTR) users have been up in arms over the "autoplay" video feature on each respective platform.

The NY Post noted that the outcry came following the deadly shooting of a TV reporter and camerman in Virginia yesterday. Not only was the on-air video replayed on both websites, but a first-person perspective from the shooter showing the violent act was also posted to the shooter's own Twitter account.

The autoplay feature means videos start automatically once they scroll onto a users' screen. Some tech bloggers quickly posted instructions on how to turn off the feature Wednesday as the videos were circulated.

Twitter allows users to mark videos as "possibly sensitive," which is the platform's way of allowing users to deem videos inappropriate for the site. We're not sure if the same feature is available on Facebook.

With autoplay, Facebook recently noted that its video views popped from 1 billion up to 4 billion last year. Users disabling the feature will clearly bring that number down, though some may opt to turn the feature back on in the future.

Shares of Twitter are flat early Thursday, while Facebook is indicated for a higher open.

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