😔 Internet Service Providers and Suicide-related Content

Commons Chamber

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MP Richard Burgon highlighted the dangers of a specific website linked to over 50 suicides in the UK, urging internet service providers to block it. Despite some providers taking action, others like Virgin Media O2 and EE have been slow to respond, prompting calls for stricter enforcement under the Online Safety Act. The debate emphasized the need for immediate action to prevent further tragedies, with Minister Feryal Clark affirming the government’s commitment to enhancing online safety measures. Families affected by these suicides, such as Joe Nihill’s, continue to campaign for better internet protections.

Summary

  • Richard Burgon, MP for Leeds East, called for a debate on internet service providers and suicide-related content due to a constituent’s tragic death. Joe Nihill, aged 23, took his own life after accessing a website that actively encourages suicide and discourages seeking help.

  • The website in question has been linked to over 50 deaths in the UK and many more globally, according to a BBC investigation. It provides detailed instructions on suicide and has even livestreamed suicides.

  • Joe’s family, particularly his mother Catherine and sister-in-law Melanie, campaigned to have the website taken down after his death. They have personally helped prevent others from following the same path.

  • Several internet service providers, such as Sky Broadband and Three, have blocked the site, but others like Vodafone, BT, and Virgin Media O2 have conditions in place or have not responded adequately.

  • Burgon criticized Virgin Media O2 for their reliance on court orders and parental controls, arguing these are insufficient to prevent access by vulnerable individuals.

  • The site is hosted by Cloudflare, a reputable company. Burgon called for Cloudflare to stop hosting the site to prevent further deaths, but has not received a response to his request.

  • Concerns were raised about the effectiveness of the Online Safety Act 2023 in dealing with such sites, with MPs questioning why harmful but not necessarily illegal sites are not included in the highest regulatory category.

  • The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Feryal Clark, expressed sympathies for victims and acknowledged the importance of the issue. She assured that the Online Safety Act would require platforms to proactively remove illegal content and enforce age restrictions to protect children from harmful content.

  • Clark emphasized that all sites, regardless of size, are required to remove illegal content under the new Act, and Ofcom has set up a taskforce to ensure compliance.

  • The debate highlighted the ongoing struggle between protecting free speech and preventing harmful content that leads to real-world tragedies. The government is urged to ensure the Online Safety Act effectively addresses these issues.

Divisiveness

The disagreement in this parliamentary session is moderate. The main points of contention revolve around the inclusion of certain websites in the ‘category 1’ of the Online Safety Act and the role of internet service providers and Cloudflare in blocking harmful content. Richard Burgon and Munira Wilson express frustration over the exclusion of small but very harmful websites from the illegal harms codes, despite previous parliamentary consensus. They also critique the varied and sometimes unsatisfactory responses from internet service providers regarding the blocking of harmful websites. While Feryal Clark acknowledges these concerns and outlines the steps taken by the Online Safety Act, she does not directly address the specific exclusion of these websites from category 1, suggesting a divergence from the expectations of some MPs. However, the overall tone is one of constructive criticism and a call for action rather than outright confrontation, which keeps the disagreement at a moderate level.