Overview

This bill mandates OFCOM (the UK communications regulator) to create a unit advising the government on how social media platforms contribute to self-harm and suicide. The unit will assess the extent of harmful content, the effectiveness of current regulations, and suggest improvements to prevent self-harm and suicide.

Description

The bill requires OFCOM to establish a unit to advise the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on:

• The amount of social media content inciting, encouraging, provoking, or assisting serious self-harm or suicide-related activities.
• The effectiveness of existing regulations in tackling such content.
• Recommended regulatory changes to better prevent self-harm and suicide on social media platforms.
• The role of search engines in accessing harmful content.

The bill defines content likely to incite self-harm as communications intentionally encouraging or assisting self-harm or suicide, sent with malicious intent and without reasonable excuse. "Reasonable excuse" includes self-expression, providing social support to reduce risk, seeking help, and activities aligned with evidence-based suicide prevention strategies.

Government Spending

The bill doesn't specify the exact cost of establishing and running the OFCOM unit. The financial impact will depend on the unit's size, staffing, and operational requirements. No figures are provided in the bill text.

Groups Affected

This bill will affect:

• OFCOM: They are required to establish and operate the new unit, incurring costs and potentially altering their operational focus.
• Social Media Platforms: They may face increased regulatory scrutiny and pressure to modify their content moderation policies and practices.
• Users of Social Media: The bill may lead to changes in what content is permissible online, potentially affecting freedom of expression depending on the interpretation and implementation of the new guidelines.
• Government: They will receive advice on the issue and may need to create or change policies related to online content regulation.

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