UK Government Plans Tougher Online Safety Act for Self-Harm Content

The UK government is set to amend the Online Safety Act to impose stricter legal requirements on technology companies to proactively identify and remove content that encourages or assists serious self-harm, treating such content as a 'priority offence' for all users, including adults. This change, announced by Technology Secretary Liz Kendall, aims to compel platforms to prevent harmful material from reaching users rather than reacting after exposure, with new regulations expected to take effect this autumn. The move expands the Act's existing obligations, which previously focused primarily on protecting children, to also safeguard adults battling mental health challenges. The announcement has been welcomed by suicide prevention charities like the Molly Rose Foundation, which highlights the growing threat of online grooming and coercion related to self-harm. Campaigners emphasize the need for robust enforcement by communications regulator Ofcom to hold platforms accountable and save lives. Overall, the government's enhanced protections underscore a legal mandate for tech companies to take immediate action against toxic content that could be life-threatening.