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Social media companies must "purge" the Internet of harmful content that encourages self harm and suicide, said the Secretary of Health.
Matt Hanbad conveyed the message after the father of a teenager who committed suicide said that "Instagram had helped kill my daughter."
After the death of Molly Russell, 14, the minister wrote to several internet giants telling them that they had a duty to act.
Molly Russell (family document / AP)Mr. Hanbad said he was "horrified" to learn of Molly's death and felt "extremely concerned about protecting young people".
In his letter, he said: "I am pleased to see that you have already taken some important steps and developed features to remove harmful content. But I know you will agree that it is urgent to act more.
"It's appalling to see how easy it is to access this content online and I have no doubt about the damage 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."
He added that the government was preparing a white paper on "online damage" and said it would look at content related to suicide and self harm.
He said: "I want to work with Internet and social media providers to make the action as effective as possible. However, I want to make it clear that we will introduce new legislation if necessary. "
Molly was found dead in her room in November 2017 after showing "no obvious signs" of serious mental health problems.
Her family later discovered that she had watched on social media for information about anxiety, depression, self-harm, and suicide.
Molly's father, Ian Russell, said the algorithms used by Instagram allowed him to visualize more harmful content that could contribute to his death.
Russell, director of television, told the Sunday Times, "It's such a mystery. She went to bed so happy. What could have caused it? The only thing she had access to was her two electronics. What had triggered it?
An Instagram spokesperson said that he "did not allow content that promotes or glorifies eating disorders, self-mutilation or suicide and strives to suppress it."
He added, "However, for many young people, discussing their mental health journey or connecting with others who have already faced similar problems is an important part of their recovery.
"That's why we do not remove some content and instead offer support to people who view or view it when they need it most."
An investigation into Molly's death is expected later this year.
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