The UK government has announced that it’s introducing new laws to toughen the Online Safety Act with the goal of protecting vulnerable people of all ages from content that encourages or assists self-harm. The government described this as an urgent action that’s intended to prevent users from being exposed to “devastating” self-harm material. While existing protections are aimed at children, the new rules will strive to protect adults with mental health issues.
With this change, any material that encourages or assists serious self-harm will be classified as a priority offense that needs to be addressed to protect children and adults. The new regulations are expected to be laid out in the autumn and will come into force 21 days after being approved.
Under the new rules, tech firms will be legally required to hunt down and remove self-harm material using “cutting-edge technology” to see out self-harm content before it can reach users. This shift is designed to change moderation from a reactive approach to a proactive one, compelling companies to prevent harm, not just respond to it. The Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said that these new requirements are “not an option, but the law.”
It’s not just the government that’s eager to introduce the new rules. The Chief Executive of the Samaritans, Julie Bentley, welcomed the new measures. The Samaritans view the changes as a positive step that can ensure the Online Safety Act goes further to protect both adults and children. Bentley said that while the internet can offer support for people who are struggling, it can also be used to find self-harm content that can be fatal.
With this change, the government is responding to the consequences that self-harm content has had time and time again, which can “destroy lives and tear families apart.” For adults, the new rules are intended to prevent content that could trigger a mental health crisis or worse. The government said that the regulations will be brought into force as a Statutory Instrument (SI) and require approval by both Houses of Parliament. The rules will come into force 21 days after implementation.