Samaritans responds to the draft Online Safety Bill

Julie Bentley, CEO of Samaritans, said:

"In its current form, this Bill does not go far enough to ensure a suicide-safer internet. We want confirmation that harmful suicide and self-harm content will be covered to avoid any delay in protecting vulnerable users. Tackling content that glamourises self-harm and suicide, detailed instructions on how to take your own life and graphic depictions of self-harm and suicide, is long overdue.

"As it stands, only the largest and most popular platforms will be required to act on content that is legal but harmful to adults. This risks the most harmful suicide and self-harm content just moving to less prolific sites. Parliament must protect the most vulnerable and ensure the Bill compels all platforms, regardless of their reach, to remove harmful content around suicide and self-harm."