Matt Hancock, the health secretary, has issued a stark warning to social media companies including Facebook, Google and Twitter, demanding they remove harmful content that could endanger children. The call follows the death of 14-year-old Molly Russell, who took her own life in 2017 after viewing distressing material about depression and suicide on Instagram.
In a letter to the tech giants, Hancock said it was "appalling how easy it still is to access this content online" and warned that he would introduce legislation if companies failed to act. "It is time for internet and social media providers to step up and purge this content once and for all," he wrote.
Molly's father, Ian Russell, has said he believes social media was partly to blame for his daughter's death. Facebook, which owns Instagram, expressed deep regret over the case and reiterated that it does not allow content promoting or glorifying self-harm or suicide.
Hancock highlighted that suicide is the leading cause of death for young people under 20, with rising levels of self-harm among teenage girls. He said protecting young people from graphic online material must be part of broader efforts to tackle mental health issues. The government is expected to publish a white paper on online content risks, including suicide and self-harm.
Hancock concluded: "I want to work with internet and social media providers to ensure the action is as effective as possible. However, let me be clear that we will introduce new legislation where needed."
