Investigation Launched into Online Suicide Forum in Response to UK Digital Safety Act | Prioritizing Internet Safety

UK Communications Regulators have announced the first investigation under the new Digital Safety Act, with an investigation into an online suicide forum.

Ofcom is investigating whether the site has violated the Online Safety Act by failing to take appropriate measures to protect users from illegal content.

The law requires tech platforms to tackle illegal material, such as promoting suicide, or face the threat of fines up to £18 million or 10% of global revenue. In extreme cases, Ofcom also has the power to block access to UK sites or apps.

Ofcom said it didn’t name the forum under investigation, focusing on whether the site has taken appropriate steps to protect users in the UK, whether it failed to complete an assessment of harm that could be requested under the law, and whether it responded appropriately to requests for information.

“This is the first investigation open to individual online service providers under these new laws,” Ofcom said.

The BBC was reported in 2023 The easy-to-access forum for anyone on the open web has led to at least 50 deaths in the UK, with tens of thousands of members with debate, including methods of suicide.

Last month, the obligation came into effect under a law requiring 100,000 services under that range, from small sites to large platforms such as X, Facebook and Google. This Act contains 130 “priority violations” or illegal content. This should be addressed as a priority by ensuring that a moderation system is set up to address such material.

“We were clear… we may not comply with the new online safety obligation or we may not be able to properly respond to information requests, leading to enforcement action and we will not hesitate to take prompt action suspecting there is a serious violation,” Ofcom said.