Suicide forum investigated under new online safety laws

A suicide forum is being investigated by regulator Ofcom as part of the first probe of its kind under the Online Safety Act.

The watchdog will look at whether the site’s service provider failed to put in place “appropriate safety measures” to protect users from illegal content and activity.

It is the first investigation opened into an individual online service provider under the new laws.

Under the Online Safety Act, platforms must comply with a range of new codes of practice, which set out how sites must protect users, and in particular children, from encountering harmful content.

They must now show that they have systems and processes in place within their site design, terms of service and moderation teams, that will help protect users from harmful content.

The first set of these codes, which focused on stopping the spread of illegal content – including that which promotes suicide and self-harm – came into force last month.

Sites found to be in breach of the new rules, which will continue to steadily come into force in the coming months, face large fines, or in the most serious cases, Ofcom can request access to a site be blocked.

Ofcom can impose fines of up to £18 million or 10% of worldwide revenue if it finds compliance failures.

According to the BBC, the forum – which is not being named due to the nature of its content – has been linked to at least 50 deaths in the UK, while one charity said it understood the National Crime Agency (NCA) has linked the site to as many as 97 deaths in the UK.

It is reported to have tens of thousands of members who discuss methods of suicide and share information.

Under the new legislation, service providers had until March 16 to assess the risk of users encountering illegal content and how it could be used to commit criminal offences, including encouraging or assisting suicide.

The watchdog said it had made several attempts to work with the service provider and had requested a record of its risk assessment.

A statement said: “We’ve been clear that failure to comply with the new online safety duties or adequately respond to our information requests may result in enforcement action, and that we would not hesitate to take swift action where we suspect there may be serious breaches.

“Having received a limited response to our request, and unsatisfactory information about the steps being taken to protect UK users from illegal content, we have today launched an investigation into whether the provider is complying with its legal obligations under the Act.”

Andy Burrows, chief executive of the Molly Rose Foundation, a suicide prevention and online safety charity set up in honour of Molly Russell, the 14-year-old who ended her life after watching suicide content on social media, said Ofcom’s investigation must see the site in question “closed down once and for all”.

“We welcome Ofcom taking the first steps to clamp down on this horrendous site which exists only to help vulnerable people end their lives,” Mr Burrows said.

“Every day it remains online more vulnerable people are at risk. We cannot afford any delay in shutting a site linked to the deaths of around 100 people, more lives than were lost in Grenfell.

“Ofcom will be judged not simply by them firing the starting gun, but by whether they act quickly and decisively to get this site closed down once and for all.”

Jacqui Morrissey, assistant director of influencing at Samaritans, said: “This is welcome news and a reassuring sign that Ofcom is taking its job seriously to tackle harmful online suicide and self-harm content.

“While the internet is a source of support for many, we know there are dangerous sites that can have a devastating impact on people.

“The outcome of the investigation should see Ofcom use its strongest powers, providing an important test of its teeth as the regulator, which we hope will also act as a deterrent to similar sites so they take action now and stop putting lives at risk.”