“There has been emerging evidence of the link between the online environment and suicide across different age groups.” (Suicide Prevention Strategy)
Emily Kell, Online Safety Lead
For many people struggling with self-harm and suicidal thoughts today, the first place they turn is not a friend, a family member or a GP: it is the internet. This means that online safety is core to suicide prevention.
While the internet can be an invaluable resource for people experiencing self-harm and suicidal feelings to seek help or find hope, it also carries huge risks, such as providing access to graphic images and videos, details around methods of harm and glorifying content.
Samaritans’ Online Excellence Programme
A major focus of our online safety work at Samaritans is maximising support for people online and minimising harm through our Online Excellence Programme. We work directly with tech companies to improve policies, reporting systems and embed best practice around pre-emptively tackling online harm related to self-harm and suicide.
Through our Online Excellence Programme, Samaritans:
- advises platforms on effective policies, products and moderation of self-harm and suicide content
- provides specialist guidance when challenges arise
- supports the development of safer responses and signposting
- helps platforms test new safety features and releases with people with lived experience of self-harm and suicide
- researches emerging risks to online users
Our work has already influenced major platforms’ policies and tools but we know that risks still exist and that there is still much work to be done, particularly in relation to emerging AI tools.
At Samaritans, we advocate for a ‘safety-by-design’ approach across all digital platforms - search engines, social media and emerging AI tools. This means designing platforms from the start so that harmful content is harder to find, easier to report and swiftly removed.
Tech companies have the tools to prevent harmful self-harm and suicide content and promote stories of hope and recovery. What they need is the expectation - and the accountability - to use them.
Regulation that delivers
Regulation requires tech companies to meaningfully reduce exposure to harmful self-harm content in the first instance, not merely publish policies or act after tragedies occur.
We welcome the decision to add self-harm material to the list of priority offences but momentum must not stall. Government and Ofcom must now ensure:
- clear guidance for platforms
- robust penalties for non-compliance
- transparency in how companies assess and mitigate risk
- protections that evolve alongside rapidly changing technology
Safer Spaces – but for whom?
While it is promising that the OSA provides clear protections for users who are under 18, at Samaritans, we know that people don’t stop being vulnerable to online harm once they turn 18. More needs to be done to ensure the strongest protections apply to everyone, regardless of age.
Similarly, the OSA provides the toughest regulation to larger platforms but risks continue, particularly on ‘small but high risk platforms’ such as suicide forums where moderation and signposting to support is often far more limited.
The need for effective offline intervention & support
Online spaces and communities will remain a critical place where people turn to seek support and discuss their experiences. However there is a significant lack of public education on how to talk about suicide in a safe way and where to go to find safe spaces for support online. It’s vital that health care professionals are equipped to talk about online safety as a part of caring for vulnerable individuals and those in distress, as well as those in schools such as educators, governors and parents/carers.
That’s why we deliver free training, resources and support for mental health professionals, educators, and parents/carers to equip them with the skills, confidence and knowledge to discuss suicide-related internet use with those they support.
The vital role of cross-sector collaboration
Samaritans is uniquely placed to bring people together to address online harms related to self-harm and suicide. We’re proud to have fostered strong partnerships and networks that span sectors: academia, tech, government, regulation and other charities working to prevent suicide. Importantly, we centre the voices of people with lived experience of self-harm and suicide in our work, ensuring that no one gets left behind or forgotten.
Despite this and rising demand for creating safer online environments, funding for this vital work is becoming harder to come by. Sadly, all the evidence suggests that our online safety work will continue to be needed for many decades to come. Without sustained investment and support, charities like Samaritans cannot continue to provide the expertise that the government and tech sector now firmly rely on. If Samaritans is best placed to create safer environments for millions online, we need sustained funding and support.
It’s time for action
Let’s prevent suicide today. Because tomorrow is too late.