self-harm
Latest
Twitch clarifies its self-harm policy
Twitch has updated its self-harm policy to clarify what streamers are allowed to mention.
TikTok takes more action against hoaxes and dangerous challenges
Almost half of teens want more information about how to understand the risks of online challenges, a survey found.
TikTok adds warnings to search results for 'distressing content'
TikTok is adding new warnings to its in-app search that will alert users when results may include “distressing content.”
Instagram bans drawings and memes linked to self-harm
Instagram is continuing to crack down on graphic images posted on its platform, following an outcry over the death of British teenager Molly Russell in 2017. Russell took her own life after seeing graphic suicide-related images on both Instagram and Pinterest.
Facebook says it's doing more to prevent suicide and self-harm
In recognition of World Suicide Prevention Day, Facebook shared three additional steps it's taking to prevent suicide and self-harm. On top of changes Facebook made in the past year, the company says it's hiring a health and well-being expert to join its safety policy team. Facebook plans to share its social media monitoring tool, CrowdTangle, with select academic researchers who will explore how Facebook and Instagram can further advance suicide prevention. And the company is including Orygen's #chatsafe guidelines in Facebook's Safety Center and in resources on Instagram when someone searches for suicide or self-injury content.
Instagram will hide self-harm images behind 'sensitivity screens'
Instagram will hide images that show self-harm behind "sensitivity screens," according to the platform's head Adam Mosseri. The new feature will blur the offensive material until a user actively chooses to view it. It's all part of the platform's efforts to combat the spread of images that depict suicide or self-harm following the suicide of British teen Molly Russell. Her parents believe that Russell, 14, took her own life after seeing graphic images of self-harm on Instagram and Pinterest. Mosseri, who took over the job after the departure of Instagram's co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger last September, is also meeting with UK health secretary Matt Hancock this week.
French authorities investigate suicide broadcast via Periscope
In another intersection of internet livestreaming and tragedy, French police are investigating the suicide of a teenager that was apparently broadcast on Periscope. The New York Times reports that a 19 year-old woman threw herself in front of a train at the Égly station (25 miles south of Paris) Tuesday afternoon, at the end of five streaming sessions totaling nearly two hours. French paper Metro says she told viewers they would "see something" around 4PM. During the broadcasts, a viewer asked if she was going to kill herself, and she responded "No," but also said nothing could make her get up in the morning. Prosecutor Éric Lallement said in a statement that she sent a text to a close friend, saying that her actions came as a result of evil, in the form of violence and rape, inflicted upon her by an ex-boyfriend.
Facebook rolls out new tools to help prevent suicides
With over a billion users, Facebook plays an important role in keeping people connected. It serves as a place to share good news, but also provides a platform for users to request support from their digital peers. The company is keenly aware that it can assist users when there is a cry for help, which is why it rolled out a (lengthy) way to flag suicidal content back in 2011. Now, it's taking that one step further by introducing new tools to boost its suicide prevention efforts.
