Suicide: Internet
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what estimate he has made of the number of people dying of suicide after engaging with suicide-related content online; and what steps he is taking to reduce those deaths.
Answered by Feryal Clark
DSIT is made aware when there has been an online-related death by suicide through Coroner’s ‘Reports to Prevent Future Deaths’ and has responded to nine reports in the past 12 months. The department is very concerned about the number of reports of deaths.
Under the Online Safety Act, which is coming into effect in the coming months, all in-scope services must proactively prevent all users from encountering illegal suicide content, and children from encountering legal content which encourages, promotes or provides instructions for suicide.
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