OSD: Social media firms to block self-harm content as online safety laws toughened up in victory for LBC
New laws are to be introduced to prevent devastating self-harm material being disseminated on social media in a major victory for LBC’s Online Safety Day.
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The Online Safety Act will be strengthened to put stricter requirements on tech companies to hunt down and remove any material that encourages or assists serious self-harm.
Tech firms will be made to use cutting-edge technology to actively seek out and eliminate harmful content, rather than simply reacting and taking it down after it has already been viewed.
In her first policy move as Technology Secretary, Liz Kendall told LBC: “Keeping children safe online is a challenge understood by parents across the country, yet vile content that promotes self-harm continues to be pushed on vulnerable adults and can mean potentially heart-wrenching consequences for them and their loved ones.
"Our enhanced protections will make clear to social media companies that taking immediate, proactive steps to keep users safe from encountering toxic material that could be the difference between life and death is not an option, but the law.”
Read more: Nick Clegg admits Facebook 'isn't doing enough' to keep children safe online
Julie Bentley, Chief Executive of Samaritans, said: “We welcome these efforts to make the Online Safety Act go further to protect both adults and children from dangerous self-harm content.
"While the internet can be a source of support for people who are struggling, damaging suicide and self-harm content can cost people their lives.
“It’s therefore vital that Government continues to take opportunities to strengthen the Act and it’s over to Ofcom now to use their powers to hold platforms to account so we can save more lives lost to suicide.”
The report coincided with Ofcom’s rollout of children’s safety codes under the Online Safety Act, which the regulator has said will help to 'tame toxic algorithms.'
Andy Burrows, Chief Executive of Molly Rose Foundation, said: "Coercing and grooming young people to harm themselves is now at the frontline of self-harm risks online and presents a growing and sadistic threat to children.
"Molly Rose Foundation has long called for self-harm offences to be considered a priority harm under the Online Safety Act so we strongly welcome the Government’s action in the face of this rapidly increasing threat.
“Ofcom must now act swiftly and robustly to better respond to the threat of online self-harm offences otherwise the most vulnerable children will continue to be exposed to truly despicable yet preventable harm.”
