[ad_1]
Multimedia playback is not supported on your device
Social media companies must "purge" the Internet of damaging content that encourages self-injury and suicide, the Health Secretary said.
Matt Hanbad's message comes after the father of a teenager who has committed suicide said that he believed that "Instagram" had helped kill my daughter. "
Molly Russell, 14, has committed suicide in 2017 after watching troubling content about suicide on social networks.
Facebook, which owns Instagram, said that he was "deeply sorry".
The internet giant said that graphic content that sensationalizes self harm and suicide "has no place on our platform".
But Mr Hanbad said he was "horrified" to learn of Molly's death and said "desperately concerned to ensure that young people are protected".
In a letter to social media companies, the minister "is congratulated on the" measures already taken by companies, while stating that "additional measures are urgently needed".
He wrote: "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."
He added that the government was preparing a white paper on "online damage" and said it would look at the content related to suicide and self harm.
Molly was found dead in her room in November 2017 after she showed 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.
Source link
