Graphic Instagram photos leading to 14-year-old suicide still available online
Graphic images relating to depression, self-harm and suicide are still easily accessible on Instagram despite recent criticism of the company for featuring such pictures.
Searching for the hashtag #selfharm reveals images of bleeding and scarred wrists and young people who appear to be suffering from eating disorders.
There are over 600,000 posts featuring the hashtag, and nothing to prevent them being viewed by children.
Last week Ian Russell, a father whose daughter committed suicide at the age of 14, accused Instagram of helping to kill his daughter because of the content it featured.
Speaking to the BBC, he said: “Some of that content is shocking in that it encourages self-harm. It links self-harm to suicide and I have no doubt that Instagram helped kill my daughter.
“We didn’t know that anything like that could possibly exist on a platform like Instagram. And they’re still there. They’re easy to find. They’re not hidden.”
Speaking on the Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, Matt Hancock, Health Secretary, said social media companies could be banned if they refuse to act on the issue.
He said: “If we think they need to do things that they are refusing to do then we can and we must legislate.”
Matt Hancock, speaking again today on Good Morning Britain:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiCIadkqovg]
Instagram have been approached for comment but have not provided a response.
