Secretary of Health asks social media companies to protect children after the death of a girl | Policy

Social media companies are facing a renewed call from the government to protect children from damaging online content, in the face of growing concerns about suicide and self-harm among teens.

Matt Hanbad, Secretary of State for Health, warned companies such as Facebook, Google and Twitter that he would use the law to force them to act if they failed to remove inappropriate content. . He warns that the benefits of the new technology could "be lost because of reasonable concerns about its risks".

He writes, "It is appalling to see how easy it is to access this content online and I do not doubt the harm that this material can cause, especially for young people. It's time for Internet and social media providers to intensify and purge this content once and for all. "

Hanbad said that he had published the application after the case of Molly Russell, 14, who died herself in 2017. His Instagram account contained painful information about depression and suicide.

His father, Ian, said he believed social media was partly responsible for his daughter's death. Facebook, which owns Instagram, said that he was "deeply sorry" for the case. Instagram said that it "does not allow content that encourages or glorifies self-harm or suicide and removes the content of this type".

Hanbad said that protecting teens against online graphic material should be part of efforts to tackle youth mental health issues. "As you know, for some time I have been very concerned that we are acting now to ensure that children and youth are not exposed to damaging content online," he writes. "As health secretary, I am particularly concerned about the content that leads to self harm and promotes suicide.

"Suicide is now the leading cause of death among young people under the age of 20. Levels of self-harm increase in teenage girls in particular. Like all parents, this week, I was horrified to learn that Molly Russell, 14, was tragically suicidal. Molly had just been two years older than my own daughter and I feel desperately anxious to protect young people.

"I was inspired by the courage of Molly's father, who spoke about the role of social media in this tragedy – and moved by the feeling that there is still much to be done to prevent such a tragedy from to reproduce."

Hanbad's letter is ahead of a government white paper on the risks of online content, which will include issues related to suicide and self-harm. "I want to work with Internet and social media providers to make the action as effective as possible," he continues. "However, I want to clarify that we will introduce new laws if necessary.

"Research shows that people who feel suicidal use the Internet to search for suicide methods. The websites provide graphic details and information on how to commit suicide. It can not be right. When this content violates Internet policies and social media providers, it must be removed. "

In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted at 116 123 or by email at [email protected]. In the United States, the national course of action for suicide prevention is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service, Lifeline, is 13 11 14. You will find other international hotlines on suicide at www.befrienders. org.