Encouraging or assisting serious self-harm is to be a ‘priority offence’ in update regulations attached to the Online Safety Act.
The government has introduced new regulations which require tech companies to be legally required to prevent this content from appearing in the first place, protecting users of all ages. Content encouraging or assisting serious self-harm will be treated as a priority offence for all users.
The Online Safety Act received royal assent in October 2023 and requires tech companies, including social media companies, to prevent and rapidly remove illegal content, like terrorism and revenge pornography. They will also have to stop children seeing material that is harmful to them such as bullying, content promoting self-harm and eating disorders, and pornography.
The zero-tolerance approach will see firms face significant fines for non-compliance, potentially costing billions of pounds said Ofcom.
While platforms already have to take specific steps to protect children from self-harm content, the government said it recognises adults battling mental health challenges are equally at risk from exposure to material that could trigger a mental health crisis or worse. The onus will be on the companies to ‘hunt down and remove’ material that encourages or assists serious self-harm, eliminating the content before it reaches users rather than reacting after someone has already been exposed to it.
The Act is already tackling the use of deepfake artificial intelligence to create doctored sexually explicit images, revenge sharing of intimate images, and has been welcomed by domestic abuse campaigners.
“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.”
said Technology Secretary Liz Kendall. Julie Bentley, Chief Executive of Samaritans, added
“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.”
