Online safety laws to be toughened to make blocking of self-harm content a legal requirement

Social media companies volition beryllium legally required to forestall users from promoting self-harm, nether strengthened rules announced by the authorities today.

The caller rules mean that platforms volition request to instrumentality measures to artifact specified contented from appearing successful the archetypal place, alternatively than conscionable taking it down aft it has been published.

Currently, the Online Safety Act requires companies to proactively forestall the work of contented that encourages suicide, but not worldly encouraging self-harm.

The change, announced by exertion caput Liz Kendall connected Monday, is expected to travel into unit this Autumn.

The announcement was welcomed by Molly Rose Foundation, a termination prevention foundation which had been campaigning for this alteration to the rules.

The foundation was acceptable up successful representation of schoolgirl Molly Russell, who died from an enactment of self-harm successful 2017.

An inquest aboriginal recovered that online contented related to suicide, self-harm and slump had contributed to her death.

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Technology caput Liz Kendall said: "Vile contented that promotes self-harm continues to beryllium pushed connected societal media and tin mean perchance heart-wrenching consequences for families crossed the country.

"Our enhanced protections volition marque wide to societal media companies that taking contiguous steps to support users harmless from toxic worldly that could beryllium the quality betwixt beingness and decease is not an option, but the law."

In March, the National Crime Agency warned of the "unprecedented risk" posed to children by alleged "Com networks" - groups known to groom children into self-harm and intersexual abuse.

Read the afloat investigation: Inside the online gangs wherever boys vie to beryllium cruel

Sky News spoke to 1 pistillate whose girl fell unfortunate to a suspected Com member, who encouraged her to nonstop pictures of self-harm.

"Coercing and grooming young radical to harm themselves is present astatine the frontline of self-harm risks online and presents a increasing and sadistic menace to children," said Andy Burrows, main enforcement of Molly Rose Foundation.

"Molly Rose Foundation has agelong called for self-harm offences to beryllium considered a precedence harm nether the Online Safety Act truthful we powerfully invited the government's enactment successful the look of this rapidly expanding threat."

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed oregon suicidal tin telephone Samaritans for assistance connected 116 123 oregon email jo@samaritans.org successful the UK. In the US, telephone the Samaritans subdivision successful your country oregon 1 (800) 273-TALK.