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Social media companies could be banned if they did not remove harmful content, warned the Secretary of Health.
Speaking at the BBC's Andrew Marr show, Matt Hanbad said, "If we think that they have to do the things that they refuse to do, we can and we have to legislate."
But he added, "This is not where I would like to go."
The minister had previously called on social media giants to "purge" material promoting self-injury and suicide as a result of links to a teenager's suicide.
Molly Russell, 14, has committed suicide in 2017 after watching troubling content about suicide on social networks.
S addressing the BBC, his father said that he believed that "Instagram" had helped kill my daughter.
Russell also criticized the Pinterest online notebook, telling the Sunday Times: "Pinterest has a lot to answer."
Instagram responded by saying that it works with groups of experts who advise them on the "complex and nuanced" issues of mental health and self-harm.
Based on their advice that sharing stories and connecting with other people might be helpful in recovery, Instagram said that they "do not remove some content".
"Instead (we) offer people who consult or post it, a support messaging that directs them to groups that can help them."
But Instagram added that he was undertaking a comprehensive review of his policies and application technologies.
A spokeswoman for Pinterest said, "We have a policy against harmful content and take many proactive steps to try to prevent them from spreading and spreading on our platform.
"But we know we can do more, which is why we are working to update our self-injury policy and our application guidelines in the last few months."
Facebook, which owns Instagram, said earlier that he was "deeply sorry".
The internet giant said that graphic content that sensationalizes self harm and suicide "has no place on our platform".
Papyrus, a charity fighting youth suicide, said it was contacted by 30 families last week, convinced that social media had a role to play in the suicide of their children.
"We've had a spike in calls to our UK hotline since the BBC's first report six days ago, all saying the same thing," a spokeswoman for the company said. 39, charitable organization.
Mr. Hanbad said he was "horrified" to learn of Molly's death and said "desperately concerned to ensure that young people are protected."
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In a letter to Twitter, Snapchat, Pinterest, Apple, Google and Facebook (which has Instagram), the minister "hailed" 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 relating to suicide and self-harm.
Hanbad said, "Many parents feel helpless in the face of social media, but we are not, and government and social media providers have a duty to act.
"I want to make the UK the safest place for all netizens – and ensure that no other family will suffer the ordeal suffered by Molly's parents."
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.
Mr. Russell told the BBC: "Some of these contents are shocking to the extent that they encourage self harm, they badociate self-harm to suicide and I have no doubt that Instagram helped kill my daughter."
Attorney Merry Varney, who represents the Russell family, explained that Molly's case "and examples showing how algorithms convey negative content" show that it is necessary to study online platforms and how they could "contribute to suicide and self-harm".
If you have been affected by l & # 39; self-harm, or emotional distress, help and support are available via BBC line of action.
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