- Vulnerable people to be protected from self-harm content as
Online Safety laws to be toughened.
- Comes as Online Safety Act to be amended to make self-harm
content a ‘priority offence'.
- Tech companies to be legally required to prevent this content
from appearing in the first place, protecting users of all ages.
The government has today (8 September) announced urgent
action to toughen the Online Safety Act by putting stricter legal
requirements on tech companies to hunt down and remove material
that encourages or assists serious self-harm, before it can
destroy lives and tear families apart.
While platforms already have to take specific steps to
protect children from this dangerous
self-harm content, the government recognises that adults
battling mental health challenges are equally at risk from
exposure to material that could trigger a mental health crisis or
worse.
The new regulations mean that content encouraging or assisting
serious self-harm will be treated as a priority offence for all
users.
The change will trigger the strongest possible legal protections,
compelling platforms to use cutting-edge technology to actively
seek out and eliminate this content before it can reach users and
cause irreparable harm, rather than simply reacting after someone
has already been exposed to it.
Technology Secretary said:
This government is determined to keep people safe online. Vile
content that promotes self-harm continues to be pushed on social
media and can mean potentially heart-wrenching consequences for
families across the country.
Our enhanced protections will make clear to social media
companies that taking immediate steps to keep users safe from
toxic material that could be the difference between life and
death is not an option, but the law.
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.
Notes to editors
The regulations will come into force 21 days after they are made,
following approval by both Houses of Parliament. We expect this
Statutory Instrument (SI) to be laid in the autumn.
