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UK Health Secretary Matt Hanbad has warned that social media companies could be banned if they do not remove harmful content focused on self-injury and suicide.
"If we think that they have to do things that they refuse to do, then we can and must legislate," Hanbad said in an interview with the BBC Andrew Marr Show.
Hanbad has become concerned about content on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter after Molly Russell, 14, in the UK, committed suicide after seeing suicidal content on Instagram in 2017, according to her father. The Russell family's lawyer thinks the application's algorithms are "pushing negative content."
Hanbad recently sent a letter to various platforms, acknowledging the steps taken by some to remove inappropriate media. However, he said that there was room for improvement. "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," he said. The telegraph.
Instagram told the BBC that it was working with experts who were guiding them on "complex and nuanced" issues related to mental health and self-harm, while saying that the company was "not removing certain content."
"Instead (we) offer people who consult or post a message of support that directs them to groups that can help them," said Instagram to the BBC, which will revise its policies.
Facebook, which owns Instagram, has apologized to Molly's family.
Hanbad added during the interview that the British government was planning to develop a white paper on the subject.
"I want to make the UK the safest place online for all – and ensure that no other family will suffer the torments suffered by Molly's parents," he said. .
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